Westside is also expanding its use of AI across supply chain management, warehousing and product design. Credit: Paulose NK / Shutterstock.com.

Tata Group’s fashion and lifestyle retail chain Westside is planning to open up to 100 outlets a year, marking a substantial step-up from its previous rate of expansion.

Operated by Tata subsidiary Trent, the chain sells clothing, beauty products, home decor, footwear and accessories. It closed its last financial year with 300 stores.

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In an interview with Bloomberg, Westside CEO Shailina Parti said: “We have been opening ten to 15 stores each year, so to suddenly jump to 100 stores is ambitious, but we are ready for it.”

The new stores will be concentrated in India’s northeastern states, while the chain also deepens its presence in existing hubs, including Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

Trent’s board approved a capital raise of Rs25bn ($260m) earlier this year, with most of the funds allocated to physical store growth.

According to Parti, a portion will also go towards Westside’s digital business, including its international operations.

The company is aiming to lift e-commerce’s share of Westside’s total revenue to 10%, up from around 6% in the quarter ended 31 March.

The push into physical retail comes as Trent leans on Westside to offset a slowdown at Zudio, its larger value-fashion chain, which has been losing ground to rivals Reliance Industries and the Aditya Birla Group.

In an April investor presentation, Trent noted: “Consumers are spending with caution, resulting in moderation of discretionary spending on the back of continuing macro uncertainties and potential increase in cost of living”.

Westside is also expanding its use of AI across supply chain management, warehousing and product design.

A newly deployed AI software suite has increased weekly design output from the company’s 50 in-house designers to between 400 and 500 designs, compared with a former average of 50.

Parti said the company is working to reduce production lead times for trend-led items to 30 days.