Thousands gather at Nothing phone store in Bengaluru; CEO Carl Pei cancels flight to meet fans: Social media reacts

On 14 February, Nothing officially opened its first flagship retail store in India in Indiranagar, Bengaluru. The 5,032-square-foot space is the company’s second global flagship after its Soho, London location.

More than 2,000 people gathered outside Nothing’s new Indiranagar flagship in Bengaluru. Queues stretched over 300 metres before opening.

Founder Carl Pei drew strong online attention after arriving in an autorickshaw. Despite the excitement, several visitors described confusion and discomfort on the ground.

Some reported poor queue control, crowd pushing and unclear wristband distribution. Only 1,000 people were allowed inside for safety. Others criticised rude behaviour from certain staff and insensitive comments linked to language differences.

Carl Pei thanked Bengaluru’s energetic tech community. Co-founder Akis Evangelidis admitted to overcrowding problems.

“I have also cancelled my flight so that I can be at the store tomorrow at 10 am to personally spend time with those who were unable to attend today,” he wrote on Twitter (now X).

“Over 2000 people turned up today for our store opening… what an incredible day - means so much! Thank you, India,” he wrote in a separate post.

“Talking about product quality? That's one thing. But Nothing's marketing genius in Bengaluru stands out. Dropping epic entries in auto and sweet offers, and all of this while also bagging the title sponsor for the local IPL team RCB. They know exactly how to pull in the customers,” one user wrote.

“Kuch bii karo, 2000 hazaar log aajatha hai celebrate karne keliye… woh bii super excited. Nothing store, Bengaluru, opening scenes today. Congratulations Carl and team,” wrote another user.

Another user wrote, “The Nothing store in Bengaluru looks great and matches their modular style. Moreover, kudos to their marketing team who are successful most of the times in getting a decent hype for their announcements.”

“Feeling genuinely happy to be at Nothing store today at Indiranagar and taking selfie with Carl Pei and Akis Evangelidis. Was lucky to be among first 100 customers. Wishing all the very best to the Nothing TEAM,” the user wrote.

Spread across two floors, it includes interactive product zones, a creator studio and conveyor belt displays. It also has vending machines and a special back room for experimental concepts.

Visitors can explore the full range of Nothing Phone 3 and CMF devices, as well as official merchandise and apparel. Beyond the flagship, the company also runs service and retail points across Bengaluru. Nothing’s services include an exclusive service centre in Indiranagar, a retail outlet in Rajajinagar and a multi-product store in HSR Layout.

The launch event featured limited-time promotional offers that drew strong public interest. These included CMF Buds 2 priced at ₹99 for the first 99 minutes, three months of extended warranty on in-store purchases and bundle discounts when audio products were bought with the Nothing Phone 3 or CMF Phone 2 Pro.