Landmark Group’s Max Fashion has appointed Sumit Chandna as Chief Executive Officer of Max at Lifestyle International Pvt Ltd, marking the next step in a leadership journey that blends category expertise, private-label know-how, and aggressive store expansion. Sumit — who has been Deputy CEO at Max and has previously held senior roles at Bata, Aditya Birla Retail, Hypercity, and Shoppers Stop — takes the helm having already led several of Max’s recent commercial and consumer initiatives.
From Deputy to CEO: Why the Timing Makes Sense
Under Sumit’s leadership, the brand has been on a strong growth trajectory in India. In the past 24 months, Max crossed major milestones — opening its 500th store and scaling its network across 200 cities — while pursuing a twin strategy of deeper store penetration in regional markets and richer omnichannel engagement.
The brand’s collaborations with A-lister Bollywood stars such as Kalki Koechlin and Siddhant Chaturvedi have boosted visibility, while its latest positioning, “New New You” | #NewStylesEveryWeek, has resonated with its core base of young shoppers looking for global fashion trends delivered weekly at Max stores. Max Urb_n, the youth-focused label, has also registered strong traction across the chain. These moves make the promotion of an experienced P&L and product leader like Sumit a logical and timely step.
As he takes on the new role, Sumit reflected:
“I am truly honoured to take on the role of CEO at Max. Over the past few years, our team has worked tirelessly to transform the brand, and I look forward to continuing this journey of growth, innovation, and delivering exceptional experiences to our customers across India.”
Footprint and Scale
- Store Network: Max operates 520+ stores in India and is expanding rapidly.
- Flagship & Store Formats: Just last week, the brand unveiled a new retail ID store at Phoenix Marketcity, Bengaluru. Spread across 13,000 sq. ft., the flagship elevates customer experience while staying true to Max’s core proposition of the latest fashion at unbeatable value pricing.
- Global Footprint: As part of Landmark Group, Max enjoys an international presence with 870+ stores across ~20 countries — reinforcing that Max India is a significant contributor to a larger global fashion business.
What Sumit Brings to the Role
Sumit Chandna brings deep expertise in category management, merchandising, and private-label development across multiple formats — from department stores to hypermarkets, fashion, and grocery. He has a proven track record of driving margin improvement, assortment strategy, and private-label rollouts. Widely regarded as a leader who combines shopper insight with P&L discipline, his skills align closely with Max’s growth playbook where assortment, store economics, and weekly newness are critical.
He has also been a visible spokesperson for Max at industry summits and media forums, spearheading youth-facing campaigns and experimentation in retail marketing.
Recent Strategic Moves at Max
- Omnichannel Expansion: Scaling ecommerce capabilities to seamlessly integrate digital and physical retail.
- Marketing and Engagement: Running youth and culture-led activations — from concerts to loyalty programs to frequent “new-drops” — a strategy that requires precision merchandising and agile supply chain execution.
The Challenge and the Opportunity
Max operates in India’s highly competitive value-fashion segment, contending with domestic organised players, soft-discounters, and digitally native brands. For Sumit, the mandate will be to sustain profitable store expansion, improve same-store economics, and scale private-label and omnichannel margins.
His elevation comes at a pivotal moment: Max already has the scale, but the challenge ahead is to convert that scale into sustained customer loyalty and higher per-store productivity.
With a track record of rapid expansion, youth-led marketing, and delivering the latest fashion at value pricing, Max has set itself apart in India’s affordable-fashion space. Now, under Sumit Chandna’s stewardship, the next chapter will be about turning momentum into enduring leadership.
