Tata to open 100 Westside stores annually to accelerate expansion
What's the story
Tata Group's Trent Ltd. is planning an aggressive expansion of its premium fashion brand, Westside. The company plans to open as many as 100 new stores every year, increasing its current pace of growth from 10-15 stores annually. The move comes as part of a strategy to reinvigorate the brand's growth trajectory and increase its market presence across India.
Expansion strategy
Expanding into northeastern India
Westside, which offers a range of products from apparel to beauty products and home decor, currently operates 300 stores.
The company is looking to expand its presence in northeastern India and strengthen its existing network in major cities like Delhi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad.
"The whole strategy is: How do we take everything and give it a fashion spin?" said CEO Shailina Parti.
Market dynamics
Zudio's challenges contrast with Westside's growth
Westside's growth comes as its sister brand Zudio, a fashion chain offering affordable trendy products, has been facing slowing revenue growth and stiff competition from Reliance Industries and Aditya Birla Group.
Despite these challenges, some analysts see Westside as the next big growth driver for Trent Ltd. owing to an impressive overhaul in the brand's store designs and product portfolio.
Financial outlook
Fundraise to support online and international expansion
Earlier this year, Trent's board approved a ₹2,500 crore ($260 million) fundraise, most of which will be used to accelerate retail footprint expansion.
Some of these funds will also go into Westside's online business and international operations.
Parti aims to increase the e-commerce contribution to Westside's total revenue from about 6% in the quarter ended March 31, 2026, to 10%.
Technological advancements
Embracing AI for design efficiency
Trent Ltd. is also looking to leverage technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to streamline its supply chain, warehouse organization, and product design.
A new AI software suite has already improved the productivity of its in-house designers, enabling them to create 400-500 designs a week as opposed to an average of 50.
The company is also looking at cutting down the production lead time for trendy items to just 30 days.