Apparel Group Targets 1,000 Indian Stores in Three Years

Apparel Group India plans to grow its nationwide network from more than 300 stores across over 50 cities to 1,000 stores within three years, and has appointed Karan R Pethani as Vice President – Real Estate to lead the property push.

The Dubai-based retail group recorded India revenue of approximately Rs 1,120 crore in FY25, up around 26% year on year — a growth rate that its store plan implies sustaining through denser coverage of Tier-II and Tier-III markets, now the stated focus of its expansion strategy.

Who is driving the real estate expansion?

Pethani brings close to two decades of experience in retail real estate, market research and business development. He joins from Reliance Retail, where he served as Assistant Vice President. He previously held positions at ANAROCK Retail and 7-Eleven India, and spent a significant part of his career with Future Group. His mandate covers the entire real estate vertical of the India business.

What does the store pipeline look like?

The group's brand-by-brand targets, announced alongside the appointment, sketch the shape of the rollout:

• R&B: store count to rise from around 35 to 200, targeting residential catchments and Tier-II markets across South and West India.
• Crocs: 200 additional standalone stores and kiosks, including in Tier-II cities.
• ALDO: expansion from approximately 69 stores to 150 standalone outlets.
• Victoria's Secret and PINK: growth through large-format stores.
• Cotton On, Nike Littles, Jordan Kids and Levi's Kids: newer partnerships expected to strengthen the group's fashion and children's wear portfolio in India.

The wider brand stable also includes Charles & Keith, Ben Sherman and BCBG.

Why does the hire matter for the supply chain?

For landlords, mall developers and sourcing partners, the plan signals a sustained demand pipeline for retail space and fit-out capacity across secondary cities over the next three years. The tripling of the store network — from 300-plus to 1,000 — requires site acquisition, leasing and build-out at a pace of roughly 230 net new stores per year, or nearly 20 a month. Pethani's record across Reliance Retail, Future Group and 7-Eleven India places him in charge of executing that site pipeline.

The company has framed the targets as plans rather than signed commitments; measured store openings against the 1,000-store goal will be the test of the strategy. With FY25 revenue already growing 26% and children's wear partnerships still in early rollout, the group has set itself a three-year window in which Tier-II and Tier-III catchments will determine whether the India business scales as projected.