Fashion retail reshuffles leadership as Ajio, Sabyasachi name new CEOs amid import-ban inventory strain
Reliance appoints Sandeep Karwa to lead Ajio while Sabyasachi taps ex-Shein exec Manish Chopra as CEO. Nykaa Fashion pushes customer acquisition alongside FY26 profit growth, and Trent plots denser stores even as Zudio and Lifestyle wrestle with a Bangladesh import ban squeezing inventory.
What happened
Nykaa Fashion drives customer acquisition with profit growth in FY26. Reliance names Sandeep Karwa as Ajio CEO. Trent plans dense stores; Zudio and Lifestyle
Key facts
- FY26
Why this matters
The dual CEO appointments—including Sabyasachi's hire of an ex-Shein exec—and import-driven inventory strain open a window for sourcing partnerships, distribution deals, or acqui-talent moves as the sector reorganizes.
What to watch
- Bangladesh import ban duration and any exemption carve-outs
- Q3/festive same-store sales for Zudio and Lifestyle
- Ajio and Nykaa Fashion CAC and contribution-margin disclosures
- New CEO strategy statements and org restructuring within 90 days
- Domestic textile supplier capacity and cotton price movement
- Karwa to restructure Ajio's private-label and third-party mix toward higher-margin categories
- Chopra leverages Shein playbook for Sabyasachi's mass-premium diffusion lines and faster design-to-shelf cycles
- Trent doubles down on Zudio store density to lock footfall despite inventory strain
- Value retailers shift procurement to India, Turkey, and Vietnam to backfill Bangladesh gaps