Trent, the Tata Group’s fashion retail arm, is doubling down on smaller cities and towns as it looks to drive the next phase of growth, a senior executive said on Monday.
The company, which operates youth-focused fashion chains Zudio and Westside, added more than 100 stores in the nine months ended December, taking its total store count to over 1,100. Analysts believe the aggressive rollout will support near-term earnings momentum.
Managing Director P. Venkatesalu said a substantial share of new store openings is now concentrated in non-metro markets.
“About two-thirds of the stores we are increasingly opening are in new towns, new cities, and micro-markets on the periphery of larger cities,” Venkatesalu said at an industry event in Mumbai.
While he did not disclose specific targets, the company has expanded its footprint to 274 cities, including recent entries into smaller towns in Kerala. Notably, more than 75% of Zudio stores opened during the nine-month period were located outside metropolitan areas.
Riding the small-town consumption wave
Indian retailers and consumer brands are increasingly pivoting toward Tier II and Tier III cities, buoyed by a growing middle class and improved consumption sentiment following recent tax reductions.
Trent’s strategy reflects this broader industry trend, with the company betting that demand growth outside major metros will remain strong in the coming years.
Tech-led expansion
Alongside physical expansion, Trent is using data and technology to guide its growth strategy. Venkatesalu said the company relies on artificial intelligence tools and third-party data, including brand-wise store density and digital transaction insights, to identify high-potential locations.
Automation and analytics are also being scaled across product planning, supply chain and store operations to improve operational efficiency as the network expands.
With a widening presence across emerging cities and a tech-driven approach to store selection, Trent is positioning itself to capture incremental demand from India’s fast-evolving small-town retail landscape.
