WEDNESDAY, 7 OCTOBER 2026

QHAAT

Today in Indian Retail

Opinion · Retail

Why value fashion still beats premium this festive

Zudio-style volume keeps winning while department stores chase margin; the till tells the story.

, Editorial··4 min read

Roadside clothing stall with stacked low-price garments under morning sun
Roadside clothing stall with stacked low-price garments under morning sun

Trent’s Zudio has scaled past 1,000 stores on sub-₹999 tickets and weekly drops while peers push premiumisation. Nine-month numbers show Trent growing faster than most department-store groups even as Reliance and Shoppers Stop talk curated assortments.

The split is now structural. Mass formats win on frequency and private label; premium formats win on ticket size but lose on traffic when wallets tighten.

A kirana-turned-fashion buyer in a tier-2 mall still reaches for the ₹499 kurta before the ₹2,999 one. Dark stores and quick commerce amplify the same price sensitivity on basics.

Sub-₹999 and weekly refresh still clear more bills than curated premium.

Reliance Trends, Intune and V-Mart must match the turn speed or cede share. Nykaa and pure premium labels stay protected only in beauty and true luxury pockets.

Festive data through Diwali will show whether the volume engine still outruns the margin story. If Zudio-like formats keep adding doors at this pace, the middle of the market thins further.

Filed under Retail·The Desk

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