Zara’s Indian partner Tata owned- Trent is planning to build its own apparel empire, replicating the Spanish brand’s successful business model.
With this new endeavor, Tata is targeting trend-conscious customers who find mid-market brands limiting in their fashion sense.
- Zara stores in India are operated by Trent, Tata Group as a partner of Zara’s parent company, Inditex, for nearly a decade.
- Trent is going to compete with other brands by opening 40 Westside stores every year.
- Also, it will open hundreds of its mass-market Zudio stores, where nothing costs more than $15, across India.
- It has hastened its supply chain to offer “extreme fast fashion” for its Indian consumers.
- Trent is hiring employees who can pick the next trends and introduces 300 new styles across its stores each week.
While Indian consumers are obsessed over fashion, brands like Zara or H&M are beyond the reach and affordability of most consumers. Due to Internet penetration, Indian consumers are now fully aware of the fashion trends and therefore, Indian apparel retail market is blooming.
With the new business plan, Tata will soon be tapping the middle-income section of consumers who are fashion obsessed but due to income constraints, are not able to go for high-end brands.
Challenges for this new business plan
Trent’s ambition to be like Zara might be hampered by India-specific challenges. To find space for new stores in India’s chaotic, congested cities at viable prices is not an easy task.
Also, competing with local rivals offering a similar mix of Western wear and ethnic Indian styles at even cheaper prices can be a big constraint for this endeavor.
