|
Tuesday, 14 December 2010 |
Tata Group’s Trent is shedding its conservative mode and going all out to lift the sagging image
of its flagship retail chain Westside. According to the company, it is slipping into the low end of the medium band, with Shoppers Stop and Lifestyle attracting buyers with high disposable incomes. Gaurav Mahajan, COO of Westside says they have been slipping towards the lower end of the middle band over a period of time but are now climbing back. They do not want to vacate their current positioning by alienating existing consumers but want to spread upwards.
One of the first initiatives towards this upward image revamp is the addition of a gourmet food section, followed by the launch of premium labels through designer collaborations and international licensing deals. The chain is test marketing an up market food section, Gourmet West in Mumbai. If this proves successful, it will add a feather to Westside’s cap as the first retail chain to offer such products in India. Currently, Gourmet West sells packaged vegetables and will soon add sushi, cheese and wine counters to upgrade the experience of its consumers and increase frequency of their visits.
Westside has signed up London-based retail design consultants Fitch to spruce up its store appeals. The shelf life of store design is 5 to7 years. That is something they have not done for a very long time and are in the process of jumping a few levels to catch up.
Westside is the oldest and largest of Trent’s businesses that also include Star India Bazaar hypermarkets and Landmark book and music shops. Westside started in 1998 after Tatas acquired British retail chain Littlewoods and renamed it Westside. Currently, the chain has 49 outlets across 28 cities in India. |
