India’s fashion retail landscape continues to be reshaped by the rapid expansion of homegrown brands, and Westside—part of Trent Limited—remains at the forefront of this evolution. The brand has reported strong growth momentum, with Trent posting robust revenue performance in the last quarter, driven by store expansion and consistent consumer demand. In this exclusive conversation with BW Businessworld, Shailina Parti, COO of Westside, discusses the brand’s aggressive store rollout strategy, its 100 per cent private-label model, omnichannel ambitions, and how it is tapping into India’s aspirational middle class while staying relevant to Gen Z consumers.
Our biggest strength is trust
Westside has expanded steadily across India. What are your store expansion plans over the next two to three years?
We opened 60 stores in the last financial year—the highest in our history. This reflects the strong opportunity we see in India, particularly with the emerging middle class. We have clearly defined our positioning as an affordable fashion brand.
Geographically, we are expanding in the Northeast, where we’ve seen strong traction among young consumers. There is also significant scope in North India, Delhi NCR, and Maharashtra. While metros like Mumbai present challenges in securing large spaces, we remain keen to grow our footprint there.
We are targeting 60–70 new stores annually over the next two to three years, aiming for a 500-store portfolio. However, finding large-format spaces—typically around 25,000 sq. ft.—remains a challenge. Despite that, we are very bullish and actively scouting locations.
Westside operates on a private-label-led model. How does this support margins and customer loyalty?
We are a 100 per cent private-label business—everything we sell is created in-house. This gives us complete control over design, pricing, and supply chain.
It also significantly improves our margin structure, as we don’t pay commissions to third-party brands. More importantly, it gives us agility. If a product is performing well, we can scale it quickly; if not, we can pull it back.
With AI, we can now design up to 100 items a day and bring them to market in about 30 days. This speed and control allow us to maintain consistency in quality and relevance, which builds strong customer loyalty.
Your ethnic wear line has gained strong traction. How has this segment evolved?
Westside started as a Western wear brand, but Indian wear was introduced to cater to working women seeking affordable yet formal options. Today, it’s a significant part of our business.
We’ve modernised our collections to make them more trend-led while staying rooted in Indian sensibilities. Interestingly, Gen Z consumers are also embracing Indian wear—but styling it in their own way.
Our youth-focused brands like Nuon, Superstar, and Bombay Paisley are growing at around 30 per cent year-on-year. Balancing the needs of loyal customers while attracting younger audiences has been a key achievement for us.
With rising competition from organised retail and e-commerce, how is Westside balancing offline and digital growth?
When I joined, our online business was under 10 per cent—currently around 7 per cent. However, in absolute terms, it has grown over 100 per cent in the last three years.
Omnichannel is critical. Customers expect seamless integration—buying online, returning in-store, or vice versa. While we aim for online to contribute up to 20 per cent of revenue, even reaching 10 per cent on a growing base is significant. We are committed to scaling digital faster, as consumer expectations around speed and convenience continue to rise.
What key consumer trends are shaping demand at Westside?
Occasion-led shopping has grown significantly. Events like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, festivals, and even movie releases are driving strong sales spikes.
Premiumisation is another major trend. Our premium lines like Ascot and Vark are performing very well, offering designer-like quality at accessible prices. At the same time, value-driven youth collections are booming. Products priced under ₹999, like denims and dresses, are seeing strong demand. We are closely tracking global trends and quickly adapting them for Indian consumers.
What are Westside’s operational priorities for FY27?
Speed and scale are our top priorities. We’ve reduced lead times from 60–120 days to about 30 days, enabling faster trend-to-market execution. We are also leveraging AI to enhance design capabilities and improve trend forecasting.
From a profitability standpoint, our private-label model allows us to control costs and maintain margins, even amid global uncertainties. Community building is another key focus. With nearly 10 million Westside Club members, we are fostering deeper engagement through events and experiences, which also supports customer acquisition.
What has been the biggest challenge and strength for Westside in India?
The biggest challenge has been keeping a 25-year-old brand relevant in a rapidly evolving market. With new players entering constantly, staying contemporary is critical. Our biggest strength is trust. Westside has a strong emotional connect with consumers. We’ve successfully leveraged that to refresh the brand and attract younger audiences. We’ve seen a 44 per cent growth in Gen Z customers, which is a significant milestone. Going forward, the challenge is to continue premiumising while remaining affordable. |
