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Tag: TRRAIN

  • Retail’s runway moment as offline struts ahead of digital discounts

    Retail’s runway moment as offline struts ahead of digital discounts

    MUMBAI: Clickbait may be sexy, but cash still walks into stores. That was the clear takeaway at the Phygital Retail Convention 2025 (PRC), where industry heavyweights made a persuasive case for why offline retail continues to bag the profits even as online steals the spotlight.

    “Online is a matter of discount in India,” quipped Kumar Nitesh, CEO of Ajio Business and Trend Footwear, Reliance Retail, summing up the e-tail paradox, it boosts valuations, sure, but often bleeds the bottom line. While online contributes about 25 per cent to business, Nitesh noted it’s the brick-and-mortar game that ensures retailers aren’t just surfing trends but making money from them.

    Earlier in the day, P Senthilkumar, senior partner at Vector Consulting, flagged a deeper inventory dilemma: with fashion trends flying faster than ever, predicting demand has become a retail roulette. “What was sold in the previous session is no longer relevant in the next,” he said, highlighting that the average product lifecycle has shrunk to just four months, a ticking timebomb for inventory planners and merchandisers.

    Management thinker Shiv Shivakumar didn’t hold back either, calling out the “buy two, get one free” gimmickry plaguing the apparel space and lamenting the sector’s lack of innovation. Drawing a sharp contrast, he urged retailers to borrow a leaf from the IT playbook where rupee costs meet dollar revenue to de-risk their models and rethink profitability.

    Zooming out from fashion to the broader consumer mindset, B S Nagesh, chairman of Shoppers Stop and founder of Trrain, urged traditional grocers to embrace tech-driven scalability, echoing the wider theme of phygital fusion. Meanwhile, Nikhil Bhatia of CBRE India offered a glimpse into the future of retail real estate: where families don’t come for shopping, they come for a showdown of experiences.

    Based on insights from 700 voices across metros, Bhatia revealed that entertainment-led retail saw a 150 per cent surge, thanks to rising demand for gourmet food courts, upscale bowling alleys, and family entertainment centres especially in Pune, Bengaluru, and Mumbai. “Entertainment is the new anchor tenant,” he said, painting a vivid picture of malls where dining and dancing might just edge out discount deals.

    At PRC 2025, the message rang loud and clear: online may be the poster child, but offline is still the parent paying the bills. And as the retail universe evolves, the future may just lie in a perfect stitch between the two.

  • TRRAIN partners with JP Morgan to support 3000 women employees in retail sector

    TRRAIN partners with JP Morgan to support 3000 women employees in retail sector

    MUMBAI:  TRRAIN, a not for profit organisation, in partnership with JP Morgan has launched a rapid response program with the aim to assist 3000 women employees in the retail sector whose livelihoods have been impacted as a result of the Covid2019 crisis.

    The program will support women in Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore who have lost jobs or income and provide immediate relief in the form of an income bridge for three months until they can seek alternative employment.

    TRRAIN has also partnered with Haqdarshak, a technology platform that connects citizens with their eligible schemes, to link beneficiaries and their families to appropriate government schemes. It is also collaborating with industry leaders such as RAI, Images Safexpress, Marks & Spencer Reliance India, Siyarams, DLF-Mall, Inorbit, Levis and through Give India’s platform for donors, to expand its efforts to reach more individuals impacted in the retail sector.

    TRRAIN founder BS Nagesh said, “The Rs 1.2 crore program will support 3000 women and their families.  A huge number of women workforce in the retail sector have found it challenging to sustain their incomes due to country-wide lockdowns. Many of them are the sole breadwinners for their families and are most likely to have lost their employment or may not receive salaries in the coming months. This program will provide access to capital to help such individuals tide over their immediate financial needs.”

    All beneficiaries of the rapid response program will be on-boarded onto the TRRAIN Circle mobile app and will have access to counseling services over the phone, and e-learning skills training.

      JP Morgan head – CSR & philanthropic initiatives Maneesha Chadha said, “This philanthropic investment is part of our global commitment to address the immediate needs of hard-hit communities and help boost an inclusive economic recovery. The retail industry employs a number of women who have been disproportionately impacted in the current situation. This initiative will help such women get access to critical support through which they and their families can overcome immediate financial challenges as well as use the opportunity to ensure their long-term financial health. We are proud to partner with TRRAIN on this important initiative.”