Trent Plans 100 New Westside Stores Every Year to Drive Growth

Westside is currently in the process of creating its most significant expansion to date. Trent intends to drastically speed up the opening of stores for the high-end clothing business. In addition, it aspires to become the next big growth engine for the Tata Group by opening up to 100 additional locations annually.

Westside is now opening about 10 to 15 outlets every year, so this accelerated expansion is a significant increase. In light of the slowing pace at its value fashion chain, Zudio, Trent is looking to diversify its growth drivers. According to Westside CEO Shailina Parti, the brand has been building 10 to 15 stores annually, so the rapid expansion to 100 outlets is ambitious, but the company is prepared.

Westside’s Recent Business Growth

Westside had close to 300 stores by the end of the previous fiscal year. It is currently gearing up to expand into the northeastern states of India and further establish a foothold in the country's most populous urban areas, such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Delhi. Broadening its lifestyle pitch, the store aims to stimulate impulse purchases across several product categories, including fashion, cosmetic goods, home décor, footwear, and accessories (including lab-grown diamond jewellery).

Parti elaborated that the overarching goal is to create an environment where customers feel comfortable making impulsive purchases by asking, "How can we take everything and give it a fashion spin?" Since that has transpired, the organisation is prepared to accelerate its operations. The timing of the expansion is pivotal for Trent. Zudio was once one of India's most rapidly expanding apparel stores, but it has seen its revenue growth slow down recently due to inflationary pressures, increased competition from companies like Reliance Industries and Aditya Birla Group, and cautious consumer spending.

Trent's board of directors authorised a capital raise of INR 25 billion earlier this year, with a substantial portion of the funds allocated to the expansion of its retail presence. Even Westside's digital ventures and global operations will get some funding from this round of investments. From about 6% in the quarter ending 31 March, Parti stated that the company aspires to raise e-commerce's contribution to Westside's revenue to 10%.

Westside Expanding Use of AI in its Operations

A key component of that expansion plan is anticipated to be technology. Product design, inventory management, and supply chain operations are some of the areas where Westside is increasing its usage of artificial intelligence. Using a new AI-powered design platform, the company claims its in-house design staff is now much more productive. As a result, 50 designers are now able to produce 400–500 designs weekly, up from 50 previously.

To better adapt to customers' ever-changing tastes, the store is also aiming to reduce the 30-day production lead time for trend-led collections. According to Parti, the brand's growth is unprecedented, but there's still room for improvement. The company needs to take action to make it happen.