icks-and-mortar location in Asia in the Indian city of Bangalore. Featuring the brand’s NextGen store concept, the space was designed to redefine the Indian shopping experience. The growing middle class Amisha Jain, senior vice president and managing director of South Asia, the Middle East and Africa at Levi Strauss & Co, told Inside Retail that the store “reflected the significance of India as a priority market” for the company.  “The country’s growing median income earners and robust economy make it an increasingly attractive market for retailers,” she said.. Levi’s has also opened a global capability centre in Bangalore, where it employs over 200 people, predominantly engineers, providing real expertise in technology, such as artificial intelligence. It’s all about growing the brand’s direct-to-consumer and omnichannel presence in the region. A changing mindset According to Jain, the consumer mindset in India has also undergone a profound evolution. Customers are now investing in products that are fashionable, but also functional and enduring in their relevance. “We have also seen a continued acceleration of the casualisation trend across the world. Consumers are also embracing a sportier athleisure look especially for women, and this has become one of the fastest-growing categories,” she pointed out. From a product perspective, the company has launched sportier pieces like tank tops, joggers and leggings, and employed production techniques that use far less water than traditional methods. Jain added that Gen Z and Millennial consumers are shopping in a more hybrid manner, blending the physical and digital worlds to find inspiration, discover new trends and share their feedback. The rise of luxury brands In recent years, India has emerged as a major market for global brands. According to statistics from the India Brand Equity Foundation, the retail sector in the country is expected to be worth US$2 trillion by 2032. It currently accounts for over 10 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and around 8 per cent of its employment. India is the world’s fifth-largest global destination in the retail space. India has the third-highest number of online shoppers, behind only China and the US. According to the foundation, new-age logistics players are expected to deliver 2.5 billion direct-to-consumer shipments by 2030. The fact that Apple has opened its first retail store in India’s financial district, Mumbai, should come as no surprise. India is the world’s second-largest smartphone market, with nearly 700 million mobile phone users, and for years, Apple products have been sold on e-commerce platforms in the country, such as Amazon and Walmart’s Flipkart, and through resellers.  An ever-evolving market Apple is far from the only premium brand eyeing the opportunity in India.  In November last year, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail entered into a strategic partnership with French department store chain Galeries Lafayette to open luxury department stores and a dedicated e-commerce platform in India. Renowned globally for its flagship location at Boulevard Haussmann in Paris, Galeries Lafayette will open two new flagship stores in Mumbai and Delhi that will bring more than 200 luxury and designer brands under one roof.  The 90,000 square foot flagship store in Mumbai is expected to be operational by 2024, while the 65,000 square foot store in Delhi is set to open at DLF Emporio, one of India’s largest luxury malls, in 2025.  The department store will complement the mall’s current offering of young, exciting designer brands across multiple categories. A nuanced perspective According to Dr Seshan Ramaswami, associate professor of marketing education at Singapore Management University, the Indian retail industry is complicated, as is the overall market. “Indians in general have high expectations of retail service quality. For example, the traditional small retailer has always been very customer centric, maintaining personal relationships with consumers, and assuring a high level of quality, and after sales service,” he told Inside Retail. Ultimately, Ramaswami believes that global brands can make it big in the country by adapting their product offerings based on research into local consumer preferences, and maintaining a high level of in-store customer service and after-sales service. He also feels the best route for big brands in India may be in partnering with existing operators who have deep experience in the country and designing an omnichannel strategy right from the launch phase.