12 January 2025, Mumbai

Kazo is accelerating its retail footprint with a strategic store opening at Phoenix United Mall, Bareilly, scheduled for mid-January 2026.

This launch is a key operational lever in the brand's roadmap to achieve a 25 per cent revenue growth through the 2026 fiscal cycle.

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By entering high-traffic urban clusters like Bareilly, Kazo is capitalizing on the increasing demand for premium western wear in Tier-II markets, which are currently outpacing traditional metros in discretionary spending growth.

This expansion follows a robust 2025 performance where the brand reported over 180 points of sale, with current plans to scale its EBOs past the 100-mark by year-end to secure deeper market penetration.

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Driving margins through high-margin category maturation

The Bareilly launch represents more than just geographical expansion; it serves as a high-density node for the brand's premiumizing portfolio, including the luxury-focused Kazo Kontour and the high-margin Kazo Details accessories line. Operational discipline is non-negotiable in a market where customers prioritize consistency and quality above all else, says Deepak Aggarwal, Founder, Kazo.

With the Indian women’s western wear segment projected to maintain a double-digit CAGR, Kazo is utilizing its vertically integrated design-to-retail model to mitigate supply chain volatility.

By focusing on ‘A-grade’ mall locations, the firm expects to improve store-level trading density, targeting a significant contribution from its accessories segment, which is slated to account for 15 per cent of total turnover in FY26.

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Premium retail excellence: The Kazo profile

Founded in 2007, Kazo is a leading Indian women’s western wear brand with over 180 points of sale across 70 cities. It specializes in contemporary apparel, fragrances, and accessories.

With a projected 25 per cent revenue growth for FY26, the brand is prioritizing Tier-II expansion and designer-led collections to solidify its domestic market share.

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13 January 2025, Mumbai

Luxury ethnic wear brand Kalki has forayed into the Chennai market with a dedicated bridal and festive wear store, signaling a sharper push into South India’s high-spending wedding market. Industry estimates peg India’s wedding-related fashion spend at over Rs 4.7 lakh crore annually, with South India accounting for nearly 35 per cent of premium bridal purchases, driven by gold-heavy ceremonies and multi-day celebrations.

Localised design meets occasion-led consumption

The Chennai store showcases regionally adapted lehengas, sarees and fusion silhouettes, incorporating Kanjeevaram-inspired motifs, temple borders and jewel-toned palettes. Southern brides are design-conscious but deeply rooted in tradition. Our Chennai assortment reflects that balance, says Saurabh Gupta, Founder & CEO, Kalki. Average ticket sizes in the bridal category range between Rs 1.8 lakh and Rs 3.5 lakh, significantly higher than festive wear, according to company executives.

Omnichannel strategy strengthens store economics

Kalki’s brick-and-mortar expansion complements its strong digital base, which contributes over 55 per cent of total sales. Chennai will act as a hub for Tamil Nadu and Kerala, enabling faster fittings, customisation and last-mile fulfilment. The brand plans to open 10–12 additional stores over the next 18 months across Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kochi, targeting a 30 per cent year-on-year revenue growth.

Competitive landscape and margin pressures

With brands such as Sabyasachi-calibre boutiques and regional players intensifying competition, Kalki is banking on controlled inventory cycles and in-house manufacturing to protect margins amid rising silk and zari costs.

An Indian luxury ethnic wear brand specialising in bridal, festive and occasion-led apparel for women and men, Kalki operates across major metros and international markets including the US and UK. The company follows an omnichannel model and targets sustained double-digit growth.

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12 January 2025, Mumbai

Premium Indo-western label Chique is entering 2026 with a high-stakes retail expansion, targeting a 50 per cent Y-o-Y revenue increase.

Having closed 2025 with an annual recurring revenue (ARR) of Rs 100 crore, the brand aims to scale to Rs 150 crore by the end of the 2026 fiscal cycle.

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This trajectory is fueled by a Rs 20 crore investment, with Rs 15 crore specifically earmarked for setting up 25 new company-owned stores.

By focusing on high-consumption urban corridors, Chique is moving to capture the resilient demand for versatile, ‘everyday premium’ clothing that balances traditional aesthetics with modern silhouettes.

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Strategic footprint expansion in high-velocity markets

The 2026 roadmap was officially inaugurated with the opening of Chique’s first flagship in South India at Phoenix Mall, Bengaluru on January 3.

This 800 sq ft debut marks a move towards regional diversification, soon to be followed by a ‘double-down’ strategy in the Delhi-NCR market.

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A second, significantly larger store is slated for Rajouri Garden in late January, with a new outlet at DLF Avenue, Saket following in mid-February. ‘Opening a grander store in Rajouri Garden reflects the deep trust our customers have shown us, notes Siddhant Gupta, Partner, Chique.

These locations function as ‘experience hubs,’ designed to meet women where they live and shop through thoughtful, comfortable design rather than transient trends.

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Navigating a $100 billion apparel opportunity

Chique is positioning itself to secure a larger share of the Indian apparel retail market, which is projected to reach $108 billion by 2026.

To sustain its competitive edge against global giants, the brand is integrating Artificial Intelligence across logistics, design, and retail operations to improve unit economics.

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While physical retail remains the primary revenue driver, the company continues to leverage its digital maturity via its D2C platform and marketplaces like Myntra.

This omnichannel approach is critical as the sector shifts toward a focus on long-term customer loyalty and operational efficiency.

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Chique: A leader in Indo-western sophistication

Founded in 2015, Chique specializes in premium Indo-western womenswear, operating over 65 stores across 25+ cities. The brand targets a 50 per cent revenue growth in FY26, scaling toward a 150-store global network. Known for body-positive designs and accessible luxury, it maintains a strong presence in India and the UAE.

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09 January 2025, Mumbai

The entry into Guwahati marks a strategic market expansion for Victoria’s Secret and its Indian partner, Apparel Group, as they target the high-potential Northeast corridor.

With India's premium lingerie segment valued at $1.9 billion as of late 2025 and projected to reach $4.3 billion by 2034, the move leverages the robust ‘Bharat' demand cycle.

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An emerging luxury retail hub, the High Street in Guwahati serves as a high-visibility theater for the brand's signature collections.

This expansion responds to a steady 9.5 per cent CAGR in the sector, driven by rising disposable incomes in Assam, where the regional GSDP has maintained a consistent 8.17 per cent growth trajectory over the recent fiscal cycles.

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Driving unit profitability via Tier-II infrastructure

Industry data suggests, nearly 65 per cent of demand in the premium apparel category now originates from non-metropolitan urban centers.

The Tier-II expansion is no longer a secondary play; it is the primary engine for margin-led growth in the South Asian landscape, notes Tushar Ved, President, Apparel Group India.

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By replicating successful rollout models executed in cities like Raipur and Kochi, the Guwahati flagship aims to optimize localized supply chains while capturing the aspirations of a young, fashion-conscious demographic.

While the primary challenge remains the escalating cost of premium retail real estate, the brand’s ‘Point of Experience’ strategy is expected to yield significantly higher conversion rates compared to traditional high-street sales formats.

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The world’s largest specialty intimate retailer, Victoria’s Secret, operates in India through a partnership with Dubai-based Apparel Group.

Managing over 2,025 stores globally across 80 brands, the alliance focuses on scaling prestige fragrances and lingerie. Since its 2022 Indian debut, the partnership has pursued aggressive multi-city expansion to dominate organized retail.

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13 January 2025, Mumbai

The traditional Indian festive wardrobe is undergoing a structural realignment as high-performance loungewear displaces rigid ethnic silhouettes.

Data from the Amazon Great Indian Festival 2025 indicates a decisive shift toward ‘celebratory comfort,’ with premium apparel brands recording a 150 per cent growth.

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Unlike previous cycles focused solely on occasion-wear, the 2025-26 season reflects a market valuation of $5.81 billion for the organized sleepwear and loungewear segment.

Industry leaders note, consumers are increasingly prioritizing versatile, ‘AM to PM’ pieces that bridge the gap between household festivities and casual social outings.

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Logistics and speed-to-market fuel Tier-II Growth

Regional market expansion has become the primary growth engine for organized retail. This year, 70 per cent of festive shopping traffic originated from Tier-II and Tier-III cities, supported by a logistical framework that enabled over 4 crore same-day and next-day deliveries.

To mitigate the 15 per cent waste rate common in traditional textile extraction, major players are integrating vertical manufacturing and AI-driven sizing tools.

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The modern Indian consumer is simultaneously price-sensitive and quality-obsessed, notes Rahul Mehta, Chief Mentor of the Clothing Manufacturers Association.

*Brands like Blissclub and Clovia are leveraging this by securing long-term offtake agreements for breathable cotton and modal blends to ensure consistent ticket sizes despite rising raw material costs.

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Organized retail captures market share from unorganized street-side trade

The push toward premiumization is successfully converting shoppers from unorganized local markets to branded digital storefronts. Driven by GST standardizations at 5 per cent and ‘No Cost EMI’ options - which saw a 10 per cent Y-o-Y growth - the retail sector is on track to hit $1.6 trillion by 2030.

By focusing on modularity and climate-adaptive fabrics, retailers are justifying higher price points, with average festive loungewear sets now maintaining stable margins through controlled inventory cycles and rapid fulfillment strategies.

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The Great Indian Festival is Amazon’s flagship annual retail event, serving as a primary launchpad for domestic D2C brands and global labels. Covering nearly every serviceable pin code in India, the event drives significant volume in fashion, beauty, and electronics.

For the 2025-26 cycle, the festival achieved a record 276 crore customer visits, reinforcing its role as a critical barometer for Indian consumer sentiment and premiumization trends.

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12 January 2025, Mumbai

A standout ‘fashleisure’ brand within the Aditya Birla Group’s TMRW portfolio, Fashleisure has reached a critical milestone with its latest store opening at Metro Junction Mall, Kalyan.

This move marks the brand's formal entry into the Mumbai Metropolitan Region - a geography that already contributes significantly to its digital sales.

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By transitioning from a pure-play D2C model to a high-visibility physical footprint, Nobero is capitalizing on the premiumization of India’s activewear segment, which is projected to expand at a 15.5 per cent CAGR through 2032. This physical offensive is designed to convert digital browsers into high-LTV (lifetime value) customers by offering an immersive brand experience.

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Strategic synergy and the path to a 125-store network

The Mumbai expansion is a cornerstone of Nobero’s roadmap to establish 25 EBOs by 2026-end. Operating under the TMRW ‘House of Brands’ ecosystem—which recently secured a Rs 437 crore investment from ServiceNow Ventures - Nobero is leveraging group-level supply chain efficiencies and data analytics.

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‘Physical retail is the next frontier for our hypergrowth phase,’ notes Prashanth Aluru, CEO and Co-founder of TMRW. With the TMRW portfolio reporting a 27 per cent Y-o-Y revenue growth in recent quarters, Nobero is utilizing its "travel-inspired" fashion niche to outpace generic casualwear rivals.

The brand is currently on track to help TMRW exceed a cumulative 125-store network by FY26, ensuring a seamless omnichannel journey for its millennial and Gen Z audience.

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Aditya Birla TMRW: Pioneering digital-first fashion

An Aditya Birla Group venture, TMRW is a leading ‘House of Brands’ scaling digital-first fashion labels like Nobero, Bewakoof, and Wrogn.

Focusing on activewear, casualwear, and ethnic segments, TMRW targets a $1 billion valuation by 2028. With a portfolio growth of 38 per cent in FY25, it is aggressively expanding its offline footprint across India’s top 20 urban clusters.

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09 January 2025, Mumbai

The Indian activewear market is projected to breach the $1 billion valuation by 2026, signaling a decisive shift from casual athleisure to high-spec technical gear. Superdry Sport’s entry through Reliance Brands (RBL) targets the widening supply-side gap in the premium performance segment.

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By prioritizing functional training and running over general street style, the brand aims to capture a category currently growing at a 16 per cent CAGR.

This strategy addresses a maturing cohort of urban consumers who now demand specialized attributes like compression support and advanced moisture-wicking capabilities over simple logo-led designs.

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Scaling through strategic IP ownership

Leveraging the 2023 joint venture where RBL secured a 76 per cent stake in the South Asian IP for £40 million, the brand is utilizing a massive distribution machine of 200+ points of sale across 50 cities.

This infrastructure offers a distinct competitive edge in reaching Tier-I and Tier-II markets simultaneously.

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Retailers are no longer just selling a look; they are selling measurable performance, suggests an industry consultant.

As global giants like Nike and Puma defend their market share, Superdry Sport’s integration into the RBL portfolio serves as a blueprint for localized brand architecture and optimized capital expenditure in a high-growth retail landscape.

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Superdry entered the Indian market in 2012, quickly becoming a hallmark of premium youth fashion. The 2023 transition to a majority-owned IP model under Reliance Brands Limited has accelerated its expansion.

Currently operating the brand’s largest global franchisee network, the partnership focuses on dominating the lifestyle and technical apparel segments through aggressive multi-channel scaling.

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09 January 2025, Mumbai

The inauguration of Sports Yard’s debut flagship in Bengaluru marks a strategic entry into India’s organized sports retail sector, which is projected to reach $2.1 billion by 2032.

Executed by Shark Shopfits, the store’s architecture reflects a decisive transition from generic athleisure to high-performance technical gear, catering to an urban demographic that prioritizes functional training and distance running.

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With India’s sports apparel market growing at a 15.5 per cent CAGR, the demand for sophisticated retail environments that facilitate technical storytelling has reached a record high. ‘Modern retail is moving beyond simple merchandising toward creating high-energy destinations that drive consumer dwell time and unit-level profitability,’ says Ashish Jain, Director, Shark Shopfits.

This project serves as a critical case study in Floor Space Index (FSI) optimization, utilizing premium materials and modular fixtures to maximize inventory turnover in a high-velocity market.

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Managing capital expenditures amidst Bengaluru’s high-growth micro-markets

Securing a footprint in Bengaluru remains a capital-intensive maneuver, with commercial real estate values in North Bengaluru appreciating by up to 18 per cent annually as of early 2026. For emerging players like Sports Yard, the primary challenge lies in balancing high CAPEX for flagship experiences against the necessity for sustainable unit economics.

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By leveraging the manufacturing scale of Shark Shopfits - a firm that reported a 16.7 per cent EBITDA growth in its latest financials - retailers can achieve faster store maturation and significantly reduced lead times.

This strategic fit-out enables Sports Yard to compete with established global giants who are also doubling down on Tier-1 premium corridors.

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As the sector matures toward a seamless omnichannel model, these physical stores function as the primary theater for brand equity, provided the infrastructure can support the rapid inventory recalibration required by current fitness cycles.

Shark Shopfits is a Greater Noida-based manufacturer specializing in turnkey retail environments for global brands including Diesel, Puma, and Aldo.

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With annual revenues exceeding Rs 155 crore and a 570-strong workforce, the firm provides scalable shop-fitting solutions across South Asia. Founded in 2012, Shark is currently expanding its production capacity to meet the aggressive rollout demands of India’s booming premium lifestyle and athletic segments.

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