Nothing Opens Its First India Store: A New Retail Experience
▼ Summary
– Nothing is opening its first retail store in India, its biggest market, located in Bengaluru to serve its concentrated userbase.
– The two-story store will showcase and sell Nothing and CMF products, offering customization and an immersive brand experience inspired by factory production and testing.
– The store features products from both the premium Nothing brand and the more mass-market, budget-focused CMF brand, which is headquartered in India.
– India is Nothing’s strongest market, where it holds over 2% smartphone share and was the fastest-growing brand in Q2 2025 with 85% shipment growth.
– This is Nothing’s first store outside London, with plans to open in Tokyo and New York, following a $200 million funding round last year that valued the company at $1.3 billion.
The consumer electronics brand Nothing has officially launched its inaugural retail store in India, marking a significant expansion into its most successful global market. Located in Bengaluru, a city with a dense concentration of the company’s existing Indian user base, this two-story space is designed to be far more than a simple point of sale. It aims to immerse visitors in the brand’s unique identity, showcasing Nothing’s signature products alongside items from its more affordable sub-brand, CMF. Customers will have the opportunity to purchase hardware and merchandise, with options for personalizing select items directly in-store.
The store’s design philosophy centers on creating an engaging and interactive environment that reflects Nothing’s industrial and transparent aesthetic. “We envisioned a fun space inspired by elements core to our brand,” explained Carl Pei, the company’s co-founder and CEO. “Think of it like a factory experience; when you buy a product, it emerges from a mock production line. We even display testing machines that demonstrate processes like USB port checks or water resistance evaluations. The goal was to bring that entire world together for our community.”
This retail debut highlights the strategic importance of the Indian market for Nothing. Industry analyst IDC reported last year that Nothing holds over a 2% share of India’s smartphone market and was the country’s fastest-growing brand in the second quarter of 2025, with shipments surging 85% year-over-year. The Bengaluru location will feature products from both Nothing, which targets a more niche, premium segment, and CMF, which aims for a broader audience. Notably, CMF operates its headquarters in India and maintains a joint venture with the local original design manufacturer Optiemus.
Pei emphasized the distinct positioning of the two brands. “Nothing occupies a more niche space with higher price points. CMF is geared toward the mass market, but it’s not about generic, rebranded products typical for that segment. These are devices we design with considerable care and intention,” he stated. The move aligns with a broader trend of hardware companies investing in experiential retail within India, exemplified by Apple’s ongoing expansion, including a new store opening this month in Mumbai.
This Bengaluru outlet represents Nothing’s first physical store outside its London headquarters. The company has announced plans to open additional locations in Tokyo and New York, though specific timelines remain undisclosed. Nothing’s retail push follows a substantial $200 million Series C funding round last year, led by Tiger Global, which valued the startup at $1.3 billion. To date, the company has raised a total of $450 million from investors including GV, Highland Europe, and EQT.
(Source: TechCrunch)
