Trent restructuring its value fashion chain

Trent is restructuring its business by closing

loss-making value fashion format stores, Fashion Yatra and revamping its operations in Sisley brand. As a part of its restructuring plan, it has converted the stores of Fashion Yatra into its popular department store, Westside. There are five Fashion Yatra stores located at Kalyan near Mumbai, Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh, Nanded and Sangli in Maharashtra and Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh.

While the agreement with Benetton to run Sisley stores in India is ending this March, according to Trent’s 2010-11 annual report, the company is now looking at continuing the agreement with minor operational restructuring to make the venture profitable. Currently, Trent runs eight Sisley stores in the country.

Trent operates 61 Westside department stores and a dozen hypermarkets under the Star Bazaar brand. It also runs Landmark book-stores and stores of Spanish brand Zara. As a part of their retail expansion plans, the company plans to touch the 100 store mark in Westside in the next four years. It also wants to take the Star Bazaar count to 50 in the next couple years, which is expected to help it achieve scale and profitability.