Retail leasing in Delhi-NCR rose 78 percent year-on-year to 1.3 million sq ft (msf) in H1 2026, as retailers expanded across malls and high streets that can attract consumers beyond traditional shopping, according to Cushman & Wakefield.
The leasing data indicates a stronger preference for organised retail formats. Mall leasing in Delhi-NCR doubled year-on-year during H1 2026, while main-street leasing grew 4 percent. Fashion accounted for 28 percent of leasing, followed by food and beverage (F&B) at 16 percent and department stores at 12 percent.
Shyamrup Roy Choudhury, Founder and Managing Director, Aura World, said retailers are becoming more selective about locations and evaluating factors such as catchment quality, access, parking, frontage, tenant mix and a destination’s ability to generate footfall throughout the day.
“Gurugram performs well on these parameters because it has a strong mix of office workers, affluent residents and leisure-led visitors. Locations such as Sohna Road, backed by robust infrastructure upgrades, improving connectivity and planned urban development, continue to attract brands and investors’ interest,” he said.
Grade A malls, premium high streets and mixed-use developments are increasingly being designed around longer consumer stays, with restaurants, entertainment zones, leisure offerings and lifestyle services complementing traditional retail.
“Retail consumption is increasingly becoming experience-led, with customers looking for destinations that offer a combination of shopping, dining and entertainment under one roof. The strong residential and office catchments around our assets are supporting this shift, while premium brands are increasingly seeking well-managed destinations with established footfall,” said Arjun Gehlot, Director, Ambience Group.
The trend is particularly visible in Gurugram and Noida, where higher household incomes, large office clusters and expanding residential catchments are supporting premium retail demand.
Developers are also looking beyond established hubs as infrastructure improves and new housing clusters create fresh consumption catchments.
Ishwin Singh Hora, Director, Reach Group, said the NCR retail market is moving towards a more mature format where location alone is no longer sufficient to drive performance.
“Catchment quality, tenant mix, accessibility and the ability to create repeat visits are becoming critical. High streets and mixed-use developments in emerging corridors can benefit as residential density rises, but projects will need to offer a differentiated retail and leisure experience to sustain footfall,” he said.
Expanding connectivity is further widening the potential retail map. Corridors such as Sohna, Dwarka Expressway, Noida-Greater Noida and other emerging NCR locations are gaining relevance as new residential projects, offices and infrastructure bring larger consumer catchments closer to retail destinations.
“For retailers, this is also encouraging a more selective expansion strategy. Rather than simply adding stores, brands are increasingly evaluating the quality of the catchment, spending power, accessibility and the broader tenant ecosystem before committing to new locations,” Gehlot added.
Source – Moneycontrol
