Inditex is in talks with the upcoming Phoenix Mall of Asia in Bengaluru to lease 5,000 sq. ft. space to open Bershka there
New Delhi: Spain’s Inditex SA is planning to bring its youth brand Bershka to India after the stupendous success of its flagship Zara brand in the country, two people aware of the plans said.
One of them said Inditex is already in talks with the upcoming Phoenix Mall of Asia in Bengaluru for a space to open Bershka there. He said Phoenix Mall of Asia has already earmarked around 5,000 sq. ft. on the ground floor of the shopping centre for the newly arriving and coveted Inditex brand.
The second person said a high-power Inditex delegation from the headquarters was here in India last month for a market survey. The delegation visited various malls in New Delhi and Mumbai among other cities.
“Zara is gung-ho about India. In recent months, first, they introduced Zara Beauty and then they said they are getting Zara Home. Now Bershka. They are even interested in bringing Pull & Bear to India at a later stage,” said the second person adding that Bershka store would open in India only in 2024.
“The US is staring into a recession, China’s economy is down, so is that of Middle East. Africa, they don’t want to go. So, it is literally India shining for Zara,” the source added.
An Inditex spokesperson in India declined to comment.
Inditex launched Bershka in 1998 as a concept primarily targeted at young shoppers. Bershka, popular among youngsters for its bold, trendy fashion, would be the third Inditex brand to enter India after flagship Zara and Massimo Dutti. Bershka is also popular for its nineties-themed fashion and for its collaborations with celebrities including Billie Eilish to the Powerpuff Girls.
Zara’s strong show
Zara’s sales in India jumped 61% and the Spanish brand posted a profit of Rs149 crore for the fiscal year 2022. That year Zara again turned profitable after a pandemic-induced loss of Rs41 crore in the previous year when sales declined 28% amid lockdowns and other Covid-19 restrictions in various states in the country.
Zara is operated in India through a 51:49 joint venture between Spain’s Inditex Group and Tata-owned Trent Ltd. There is another JV between the two groups for selling Massimo Dutti in India. Inditex Trent Retail India currently operates 21 stores in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Surat, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Gurugram.
Zara has already introduced its beauty products in India this year amid a boom in the country’s beauty and cosmetics market. Read more about it here.
IndiaRetailing reported last month that Inditex is also planning to introduce Zara Home products in India.
Zara Home sells bed linens, quilts, cushions, curtains, table linens, blankets, bathrobes among a host of other home items. Read more about it here.
