Victoria’s Secret secures gateway to Northeast India with Guwahati flagship debut
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. 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.
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. 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.
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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