Business · Companies · 7 hrs ago
Trent signs Caffe Nero deal for cafes in Westside and Zudio stores
Trent has signed a licensing deal with Caffe Nero to add cafes to its retail stores in India.
The cafes are planned for Westside and Zudio, Trent’s fashion and value-fashion chains.
Trent already has a joint venture with Starbucks, but talks about putting Starbucks cafes in its stores broke down over store formats, locations and how prominent the cafes would be.
Retailers are adding cafes to encourage shoppers to visit and spend more time in stores, while India’s high property costs make the use of shop space especially important.
The deal gives Caffe Nero a route to reach shoppers through Trent’s established store network.
The rollout size and schedule remain unknown, and the companies have not commented.
Trent signed a licensing agreement with British coffee chain Caffe Nero to open cafes inside its Westside and Zudio stores.
The deal follows the breakdown of discussions between Trent and Tata Starbucks over a similar arrangement.
The disagreement included Starbucks’ preferred store presence and control over store formats and locations.
The agreement’s commercial terms, rollout schedule and planned number of cafes were not immediately known.
The partnership gives Caffe Nero access to Trent’s retail network, but the scale and pace of expansion in India remain unclear.
- Who
- Trent and British coffee chain Caffe Nero.
- What
- They signed a licensing agreement to open Caffe Nero cafes in Westside and Zudio stores.
- When
- The signing date was not stated. The deal was reported on October 26, 2026.
- Where
- Within Trent’s Westside and Zudio stores; specific locations were not stated.
- Why
- The deal gives Caffe Nero a route to shoppers through Trent’s retail network and gives Trent access to a specialist coffee brand.
Trent
Tata Starbucks
Store presence
Trent
Trent was unwilling to accommodate Starbucks’ request for a prominent, front-facing presence in its stores.
Tata Starbucks
Starbucks wanted a prominent, front-facing presence within Trent’s stores.
Control and locations
Trent
Trent and Starbucks could not agree on store formats and locations; differences over Starbucks’ control also contributed to the breakdown.
Tata Starbucks
Starbucks sought a degree of control over store formats and locations that Trent did not accept.
Discussions between Trent and Tata Starbucks over a similar arrangement broke down.
Harish Bhat stepped down from Trent’s board to avoid a potential conflict of interest.
The Caffe Nero licensing agreement was reported.
- Retailer
- Trent, part of the Tata Group
- Coffee partner
- Caffe Nero, founded in London in 1997
- Store formats
- Westside and Zudio
- Agreement type
- Licensing agreement
- Expansion details
- Commercial terms, rollout schedule and planned number of cafes were not immediately known