IndiaRetailBiz

Trent Limited, which is among the pioneering modern retailers of the country, has launched its ‘Westside’ retail store in Mysore. This is its first franchisee store in the country. Westside, which began retail operations from Bangalore in 1998, is one of the two retailing arms of the Tata Group operating with flagship Westside (lifestyle products), Landmark (Books & Music) and Star Bazaar (Hypermarket) brands. The second retailing arm of the group ‘Infiniti Retail’ operates durables retail stores under the brand name of ‘Croma.’

Trent, which has become one of India’s largest and fastest growing retail chains, currently operates 26 stores (18 centres) across the country. Each of its stores occupies between 15,000 and 30,000 sq. ft. of space. While, Star Bazaar, operates a 50,000 sq. ft. hypermarket from Ahmedabad, Landmark, its Books & Music stores chain, acquired in 2005, operates nine stores from six centres. Trent has planned to set up 11 new stores this year in Metro and tier II cities across the country. It is also going to set up a Hyperbazaar in Bangalore.

Mysore, which has recently grown as an IT and ITeS services hub, is fast becoming an important retailing destination in Karnataka  after Bangalore. Mysore has now become an extended city of Bangalore, like Pune for Mumbai and Gurgaon/ Noida for Delhi.