Women’s ethnic wear brand Taneira has expanded its network by launching its seventh ‘Weavershala’ in Godda, Jharkhand.

Having artisans equipped with machine reeling facilities, the Weavershala is dedicated to the manufacturing Tussar sarees.

Located in the picturesque Hira Khutari, Bhagaiya, Godda, this Weavershala serves as a hub for skilled weavers and women reelers. It reflects Taneira's commitment to preserve and boost the art of weaving Tussar sarees by providing weavers with modern and efficient handlooms.
 
Built to be well-lit and clean, Taneira’s Weavershala institutes are equipped with new age frame looms to enable precision and create a close-knit community of artisans at each location. 

Launched in 2022, the Weavershala initiative aims to preserve the art of hand-weaving across India, according to the brand’s website. Designed to strengthen artisans’ skills and help them earn a living wage while working towards preserving heritage Indian crafts and creating work for Taneira products. 

US-based footwear and sportswear retail giant, Foot Locker Inc, has entered into a long-term licensing agreement with footwear retail chain Metro Brands (MBL )to own and operate the brand’s stores in India.

Foot Locker has also entered into an agreement with Nykaa Fashion to manage its India website and selling the brand’s authorized merchandise on Foot Locker branded shops through Nykaa's existing e-commerce platforms.

A global leader in sneaker culture, Foot Locker aims to tap the robust Indian sneaker market. Driven by a surge in demand for unique designs that blend traditional Indian elements with modern trends, the segment is anticipated to reach a volume of 66 million pairs by 2028.

Mary Dillon, President and CEO, Foot Locker Inc, says, the combined omni-channel capabilities of its partners will help the company connect with the rapidly growing Indian market.

Adwaita Nayar, Co-Founder, Nykaa, and CEO, Nykaa Fashion adds, MBL’s partnership with Foot Locker allows it to offer the world's best sneaker brands and styles to its customers in India.

E-commerce giant Flipkart recorded an increase in online shopping by rural consumers in 2023, as per its ‘FlipTrends Report 2023,

Fashion, lifestyle goods and electronic goods topped their list of purchases this year, says Ravi Vijaya Raghavan, Senior Vice President, Flipkart. The e-commerce company played an important role in providing its consumers an access to the latest styles in the market, he adds. .

The report studies data from over 500 million registered users. According to it, shoppers spent an average of seven hours on Flipkart’s e-commerce store this year with the business acquiring over 41 million new customers until November. 

Flipkart’s new Chat GPT-powered shopping assistance tool, ‘Flippi’ was used by over four million consumers in’ October, the month when the feature was launched. Flipkart also recorded a rise in shoppers from Tier I, II and cities including Trivandrum, Patna, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Varanasi, Ernakulam, Guwahati and Cuttack, Medinipur, and Bankura.

Retail chain Value Zone Hyper Mart has forayed into the Hyderabad market with its first outlet mall at Patancheru. Spread across 1 lakh sq. ft. of carpet area, this is the biggest outlet mall in the city

The hypermart will offer over 2 lakh products including fashion products, groceries, footwear, luggage, furnishing, stationary, mobile accessories among others. These products will be offered with a 70 per cent discount. The outlet will meet the customers’ emerging need for newer shopping formats and value-for-money products, says Suresh Seema, Director, Value Zone Hyper Mart.

Blending style with value and convenience, the outlet mall is spacious with well-thought-out interiors. Offering virtually every product one can imagine, it is a shopper’s paradise, adds Keshav Gupta, Director, Value Zone Hyper Mart.

Tata Group's Zudio, the value retail fast fashion chain, has inaugurated its inaugural Palanpur store in Gujarat's S9 Imperial complex.

This marks Zudio's 72nd outlet in Gujarat and its first in Palanpur. With a focus on expansion, the Tata Trent-owned brand aims to open 130 stores in 2023.

Currently boasting 453 stores nationwide, Zudio has a strong presence, notably with 25 stores in Ahmedabad alone, making it the leading city in Gujarat for the fashion brand.

India’s leading kidswear brand, MiniKlub has opened a new store in Bhatinda, Punjab.

Catering to the requirements of parents of 8-year old kids, the store ensures a comfortable and convenient shopping experience to its consumers. It reflects the brand’s dedication to quality, style, and comfort, and aims to become the most-sought after destination for kidswear in the city.

A part of the First Steps Babywear, MiniKlub was established in 2013. The omni-channel brand currently is present in over 450 multi-brand outlets, leading e-retailers, and both physical and online exclusive brand stores. It also has 65 EBOs in 28 Indian cities.

With designs focusing on comfort and safety, MiniKlub is inspired by the spirit of childhood. The brand adopts sustainable manufacturing processes to deliver top-quality products. It has a robust presence on e-commerce platforms like Amazon, Myntra, Flipkart, and Ajio besides serving customers across India through its dedicated e-commerce platform, miniklub.in.

Lifestyle brand Jaypore, under Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited (ABFRL), unveiled its 24th store at Vegas Mall, Dwarka, Delhi.

Spanning 1350 sq. ft., the artisanal space offers handcrafted apparel, home décor, jewelry, and accessories for men and women.

Featuring warm palettes and artisanal techniques, the store reflects Jaypore’s commitment to artistic narratives.

ABFRL, with a vast network, owns international brands like Ralph Lauren, Forever 21, and more.

Luxury fashion brand Saundh aims to expand its retail footprint across India by opening 50 stores by the end of next fiscal year. The brand also plans to set up at least three experiential flagship stores in major metros.

Currently, Saundh has 33 operational stores across India. It is present in 19 cities including all leading metros. From opening 10 stores in its first two years to an additional 17 in the last year, the brand’s expansion is a testament to its market acceptance. It now plans to penetrate deeper into selected Tier II cities that support its e-commerce customer base.

Apart from its D2C website, the brand is available across luxury marketplaces online and offline, including Aza, Ogaan, and Nykaa, amongst others. As of now, e-commerce revenue contributes 7-8 percent of the overall business. The brand plans to increase this to upto 15-18 per cent of the business, states Sarabjeet Saluja, Founder.

Becoming the group’s first online venture to turn profitable, Reliance Retail’s online fashion business, Ajio is expected to achieve an EBITDA of Rs 6-8 crore in December.

The company’s performance can be attributed to factors including a premiumisation trend in the market that helped it improve its average billing value, reduction in logistic costs by shipping most orders from nearby stores, and reduction in return rates to 28 per cent from the earlier 38 per cent.

Ajio also reduced marketing costs by setting up five different storefronts for each consumer class. Additionally, it set up 4,000 stock points for last-mile fulfillment, including Reliance Retail's nearest store for delivery. .

Ajio’s gross merchandise sales during the year surged to $2 billion with 51 per cent of the business coming from the Reliance Retail portfolio and the balance 49 per cent from its own and exclusive brands.

Strengthening its retail presence, multi-designer store, Asmairaa has launched a new store in Chattarpur, New Delhi.

Spread across 6,000 sq ft, the store houses collections by designers like Tamanna Punjabi, Gopi Vaid, Varun Bahl Pret, Seema Thukral, etc.

The expansion is poised to enhance fashion enthusiasts with a variety of exquisite designs and styles from some of the reputed designers in the industry. The brand aims to set more such stores in prominent locations across the region. The expansion will broaden the reach of Asmairra’s offerings to a wider audience.

Founded by Param Baweja and Rupinder Bedi in 2015, Asmairaa is known to be a

beacon of sophistication and opulence, says a spokesperson of the brand.