Reliance Retail’s brand, Yousta, is a phenomenon in India’s burgeoning value retail space. The group plans to have more than 1,000 stores in the next three years from its current number. Yousta was launched last August and competes against Trent’s Zudio, Aditya Birla’s Style Up, and Shoppers Stop’s Intune. Yousta’s aggressive expansion and a value-driven approach by Reliance will place it right in the thick of this very competitive space.
The Vision Behind Yousta
Since its launch, Yousta has been on an accelerated growth path with a new store opening every few days. In a year’s time, the company looks to get to hundreds of stores, and over 1,000 in two years. Reliance Retail currently stands at over 55 stores across 27 cities in India. Working towards achieving scale and impact in the value retail space, Reliance Retail will target every region and city in India.
Yousta’s Owner
The company’s intention for rapid expansion was told by Reliance Retail President & CEO of Fashion & Lifestyle, Yousta owner Akhilesh Prasad, who talked of how the company has groups actively scouting properties and opening stores at an unprecedented rate, and while Yousta is growing toward thousands of stores, every new store brings the brand closer to more potential customers.
How Yousta Leads India’s Value Retail Market
Yousta is entering a market led by Zudio, which, as of June 2024, operates 559 stores, while Shoppers Stop’s Intune stands at 31, and Aditya Birla’s Style Up is also at 30. For date, the old formats of retail do not cater to as wide a gamut for Yousta since its products range from apparel to cosmetics and accessories to lifestyle products needs of today’s age, catering to the current generation’s needs.
Yousta’s Vision in Detail
“Today’s youth want more than just apparel; they want an overall lifestyle experience that encompasses shoes, handbags, caps, and cosmetics,” said Prasad. Yousta wants to capitalize on this preference, offering one-stop shopping with a platform that covers fashion, beauty, and lifestyle accessories. The expansion is in tune with the shift in preferences among Indian consumers, especially 16-25 years olds, who are looking for affordable yet stylish products.
Advantage in the Reliance Retail Ecosystem
One of the unique strengths of Yousta is that it has an entire Reliance Retail ecosystem: sourcing, design, and manufacturing. This allows it to keep pace with fashion trends that are changing faster than ever. As noted by Prasad, “Trending fashion rarely lasts more than three months so that our stores and product offerings must be continuously adapted.”.
What is Yousta’s Innovation?
Reliance Retail has an international support system that designs inputs for Yousta’s products through its office in London. The material and design innovations of its R&D centers keep the offerings up-to-date. Such an integrated framework would enable Yousta to give fashionable products sooner and at competitive prices.
Product Expansion: Beyond Apparel
Besides aggressive store expansion, the company is working on growing its portfolio products into wider lifestyle categories beyond the traditional apparel. This past month, Zudio opened standalone beauty stores as demand for affordable cosmetics grows in India. Yousta is expected to enter similar territory as it will look to grow its beauty, footwear, and accessories lines.
Lifestyle, Not Just Apparel
This is part of an overall direction for value retailers to move towards providing broad lifestyle offerings. According to Prasad, “for the youth, it is not only about the outfit but also about the accoutrements, beautification, and the full look”. In doing so, this diversifies Yousta, allowing the brand to better position itself as a hub for lifestyles and cater to young fashionistas looking to make their looks without overextending into expensive but still stylish outlets.
Targeting India’s Youth Demographic
The 16-25 age group stands as the primary target demography for Yousta- a segment that has relatively different preferences for trendy yet affordable and accessible fashion. This age group, widely influenced by global trends through social media, is expected to have a high need for fresh and current styles that will not cost their pockets.
Affordable Prices
The prices, too, are at par with this market’s expectation value, with Yousta talking of affordability in the process of delivering quality and style. Catering exclusively to youth will position Yousta strongly to capture the major portion of India’s value retail market, even in an increasingly competitive scenario. “There is room for everyone,” said Prasad. “We are going to be extremely competitive and look for that share of market.”.
Reliance Retail Believes in the Value of Fashion
Reliance Retail is going big on Yousta, and the company now feels value fashion needs a strategic focus. Prasad said, “Talent has been invested massively, and international experts were hired to ensure that everything Yousta sells is within global standards.” “Every muscle of the fashion lifestyle division is devoted to Yousta,” he added. “With expat talent and R&D centers generating new fabrics and styles, we are taking a 360-degree approach to this format.”.
What Makes Yousta Stand Out
The local understanding merged with international experience would help Yousta to change the face of Indian fashion with competition, and its response to dynamic changes could be very sharp and rapid. It could respond to changing consumer trends with a very fast turnaround against its competitors that were set in for longer.
Navigating a Competitive Landscape
Yousta is the latest entrant into the market, marking a further evolution of the retail sector in India, particularly in the value fashion space. The brand competes with Zudio, currently the leader in the affordable fashion segment, Style Up, and Intune.
The strength of Zudio lies in its wide product offering and established presence, while Style Up and Intune are also making their mark on value-conscious consumers in India.
Competition Grows Stronger
With such strong, deep resources and a streamlined model that is constantly growing fast, it certainly will be ready to address the stiff competition head-on. And, as Prasad sums it up, Yousta’s focus on growth is rapid expansion, but building that knowledge base will keep you ahead of the competition for quite some time.
“Ultimately, the company with the largest knowledge bank will prevail,” he said, indicating that Yousta’s approach is set on a deep understanding of market trends and consumer demand.
The Future for Yousta: Expansion and Innovation
Yousta will also open 1,000 stores in the next two years, making it a key player in the Indian value fashion market. For this brand, its extension is not just the process of opening new stores.
The brand will continually come up with new innovations within the product offerings and even in the customer experience that is to be enjoyed when walking into the store. Expansion into beauty, footwear, and accessories will then complete the lifestyle brand intended to meet the diversified tastes of the target market.
At a Glance, Yousta
The next few years will be the critical years for Yousta in India’s highly competitive value retail market. Yousta is well-positioned to win with the support of resources and expertise from Reliance Retail.
The ability to adapt to trends, high-speed expansion, and provide a wide variety of products will help this brand grow in a huge chunk of India’s value-conscious consumer base.
Yousta is Here to Last
Naturally, this competition is going to face the likes of big branded houses like Zudio, Intune, and Style Up. However, it has a unique edge as long as the platform goes through its selling points, which is the built network of Reliance Retail and international design inputs focused more on lifestyle aside from clothing.
Once the whole setup matures, value retail will be redefined to cater to a more wholesome lifestyle for young consumers of India.
Conclusion
Reliance Retail’s Yousta is changing the value retail landscape in India with its aggressive expansion and diversified product lines. Targeting the 16-25 demographic, it combines affordability with style, catering to the youth’s demand for fashionable yet budget-friendly options. With an ambitious goal of reaching over 1,000 stores by 2026, Yousta aims to become a major player in India’s competitive value fashion market.
FAQs
1. What is Reliance Retail’s Yousta?
Answer: Yousta is a value retail brand by Reliance Retail, offering affordable fashion, beauty, and accessories.
2. How quickly is Yousta Reliance expanding?
Answer: Yousta plans to open over 1,000 stores within two years, adding new stores every few days.
3. Who does Yousta compete with?
Answer: Yousta’s main competitors include Trent’s Zudio, Shoppers Stop’s Intune, and Aditya Birla’s Style Up.
4. What products does Yousta offer?
Answer: Yousta offers clothing, beauty products, footwear, and accessories for a complete lifestyle experience.
5. Who is Yousta’s target audience?
Answer: Yousta targets the 16-25 age group seeking trendy, budget-friendly fashion and lifestyle options.
6. What is the Yousta owner’s name?
Answer: Akhilesh Prasad.
