Tata Group's fashion and lifestyle retail chain Westside is planning to open up to 100 outlets a year, a significant increase from its previous rate of 10 to 15 stores annually. CEO Shailina Parti told Bloomberg the chain, which closed its last financial year with 300 stores, will concentrate new locations in India's northeastern states while deepening its presence in existing hubs like Delhi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad. Parent company Trent's board approved a Rs25 billion capital raise earlier this year, with most funds allocated to physical store growth and a portion going toward Westside's digital business, including international operations. The company aims to lift e-commerce's share of total revenue to 10% from around 6% in the quarter ended March 31, as it leans on Westside to offset a slowdown at its larger value-fashion chain Zudio. Westside is also expanding its use of AI across supply chain management, warehousing, and product design, with a newly deployed software suite increasing weekly design output from 50 to between 400 and 500 designs.
Westside plans to open up to 100 stores annually, significantly expanding physical footprint and driving customer demand.