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Tata Group's retail arm Trent Ltd. is set to significantly accelerate the expansion of its premium fashion and lifestyle brand Westside, with plans to open up to 100 new stores every year, doubling its current rollout pace, as it looks to drive its next phase of growth.
Westside, which had 300 stores at the end of the last financial year, is expanding its footprint into India's northeastern states while strengthening its presence in key metropolitan markets such as Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. The retailer offers apparel, beauty products, home décor, footwear, accessories and lab-grown diamond jewellery.
The aggressive expansion comes as Trent seeks to diversify its growth drivers beyond its value fashion chain Zudio, which has witnessed moderating revenue growth amid rising competition from players such as Reliance Industries and Aditya Birla Group, alongside subdued consumer spending and limited availability of retail space.
To support its expansion strategy, Trent's board earlier approved raising ₹2,500 crore, with a significant portion of the funds earmarked for expanding its retail footprint. The company also plans to invest in Westside's e-commerce business and international operations, aiming to increase online sales from around 6% to 10% of the brand's overall revenue.
Technology and artificial intelligence are also playing a central role in Westside's growth plans. The retailer has deployed AI tools across product design, supply chain management and warehouse operations. According to the company, AI has increased the productivity of its in-house design team, enabling it to create 400–500 designs each week, compared with around 50 designs previously.
Westside is also working to shorten production lead times for fashion merchandise to 30 days, allowing it to respond faster to changing consumer trends.
With a sharper fashion proposition, expanding omnichannel presence and an accelerated store rollout strategy, Trent is positioning Westside as a key pillar of its long-term growth strategy.
