Zara’s Indian partner Tata Group is launching its own fashionable apparel chain in the territory with prices well below Zara levels.
Tata’s retail offshoot Trent Ltd has launched an “extreme-fast-fashion” model that brings new styles from the runway to the store within two weeks, similar to Zara’s own timeline.
Trent is seeking to launch 40 locations the flagship Westside chain per year as well as hundreds of mass-market Zudio stores for budget items. The chain is targeting fashion-conscious Indian consumers without the means to afford Zara items, with a view to becoming as ubiquitous in Asia as Zara is in Western markets.
The firm has a strong focus on fashion-savvy staff, and spends 65 per cent more on personnel per square foot than its local competitors.
“The middle class is growing, incomes have grown, Indians are traveling more and they have more money to spend,” said chairman Noel Tata. “Now that we’ve built this capability and this model that’s working so well, it’s time to grow faster … The value proposition we offer is much stronger than the international brands.”
Less than a quarter of Indian households earnt US$8500 or more last year.