Retail

Zudio crosses 1,000 stores across smaller cities

Trent’s value format hits the milestone with most recent doors in tier-2 and tier-3 markets, keeping sub-₹999 tickets.

Meera Iyer, Retail correspondent·21 September 2026·4 min read

Bright apparel racks with folded garments under store lights

Trent’s Zudio brand has crossed the 1,000-store mark in India. The value-fashion chain, which had 963 stores across 310 cities as of March 2026, added aggressively through the year with over 80 per cent of new outlets in tier-II, tier-III and peripheral markets.

Zudio surpassed 1,000 stores, building on 963 outlets in 310 cities at the end of March 2026. In FY26 it added 208 domestic stores, the bulk outside metros. Trent continues to target 200-250 fresh Zudio doors a year.

A new Zudio floor in a tier-3 mall immediately resets local apparel pricing. Shoppers walk out with full outfits under ₹999, forcing neighbourhood multi-brand stores to discount deeper or lose the youth basket.

Over 80 per cent of new Zudio outlets landed in tier-II and tier-III markets.

The pace squeezes other value players such as V-Mart and Reliance’s Yousta while giving Trent denser private-label throughput. Premium formats feel less direct heat but lose share of wallet in the same catchments.

Watch the next 50-store cluster openings through the festive season and any update on inventory turns in the coming quarterly numbers.

Filed under Retail·Meera Iyer

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