Tata Trent Widens Portfolio, Unveils Premium Occasion Wear Brand Samoh

Tata Group's flagship retail arm, Trent Ltd., has entered the premium occasion wear segment with the launch of 'Samoh', in a bid to capture a higher wallet share as shoppers spend on new clothes for every occasion.

Spread across 1,800 square feet, Samoh will debut with its first-ever store in Lucknow at Hazratganj, the company said in a statement on Saturday.

The concept store, according to the company, will cater to "people who appreciate luxurious and modern takes on cherished designs and motifs" from the hinterland. The brand is expected to compete with the likes of Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail's Tasva, Jaypore, and Marigold Lane brands, Vedant Fashions-led brand Manyavar, and Reliance Trends, among others.

"Samoh's range draws inspiration from traditional roots and blends it seamlessly with modern aesthetics," Noel Tata, chairman of Trent Ltd., said. "Samoh will provide a compelling touch of luxury and sophistication to our customers while they shop for their special moments in life."

Trent plans to expand Samoh to other parts of the country by year's end as it seeks to become a "go-to brand" as occasions for consumption grow.

For instance, Statista estimates that the market size of ethnic wear, dominated by women, was approximately $17 billion in 2020 and is estimated to reach more than $24 billion by 2025. "The surety of having clothing that goes with specific occasions, including festivals and weddings, ensures growth in this market, in both urban and rural areas," it said.

Higher disposable income, a nuclear family set-up, and being fashion conscious have brought immense change to the spending patterns of modern-day customers. Shoppers who are more inclined to indulge in occasion-based shopping are in the age group of 25–40. That's because this age group has different occasions to attend, like festivals, weddings, family functions, office celebrations, and friend get-togethers.

This has prompted conglomerates like Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail to Reliance Industries, as well as designer labels such as Sabyasachi, Ritu Kumar, and Manish Malhotra, among others, to cater to mass-to-premium levels. Over the past few years, Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail has acquired significant stakes in ethnic wear brands such as Tarun Tahiliani, Sabyasachi, and Jaypore. Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Ltd. too has bought a 40% stake in MM Styles, owned by fashion designer Manish Malhotra.

The Mumbai-based Trent has two other fashion retail formats.

Its flagship concept, Westside, caters to discerning customers who are aspirational and yet seek value for money. The other format, Zudio, with much smaller stores, operates in a more mass-priced segment.

Besides, Trent runs a relatively new concept store, Utsa, which sells its own ethnic and indie wear private labels like Utsa, Zuba, Vark, and Diza.

Trent's other non-fashion concepts include the Trent Hypermarket chain operating under 'Star Market' and 'Landmark', a chain of books-to-toys.