India's Fashion Retail Sees High CXO Churn: What's Driving Leadership Movement?

• Leadership churn in India's fashion retail is structural, driven by the sector's fragmentation and high growth, creating numerous leadership roles and movement.
• Leaders from FMCG and e-commerce often struggle with fashion's inventory-led model, underestimating critical store operations, merchandising, and inventory management.
• The rise of online sales (30% of fashion sales) demands omnichannel execution and digital fluency, leading to churn in legacy organizations lacking these capabilities.
• Despite strong market fundamentals (apparel market projected to reach $190 billion by FY30), leadership roles are harder to hold due to shifting economics, online competition, and low-margin value fashion.
• Fashion retail remains attractive for senior talent due to its dynamic nature, greater autonomy, and visibility, despite complexities like rapidly changing consumer preferences and intense competition.

Why It Matters: High leadership churn in India's fashion retail is structural, driven by growth, complexity, and evolving digital demands.