melbourne australia's retail capital (aka our top 10)
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Melbourne Australia’s retail capital
whitepaper/ july 2014
a little summary
we know it’s a big call but we’re putting it out there Melbourne is currently Australia’s retail capital.
!it’s getting it’s share of internationals (H&M, Muji, Uniqlo) for property/
financial reasons, but it’s also the city where retailers can build their branded experiences (Koko Black, Aesop).
!so here’s our pick of the Melbourne pack…
the retailoasis top 10
1. H&M 2. Emporium 3. Uniqlo 4. Koko Black 5. Muji
6. Aesop 7. Philippa’s 8. Camilla 9. Zara 10. The Waiting Room
this might be the best H&M store we’re been to. the location (Bourke St Mall) and
environment (old GPO building) make this store.
the classic (expensive looking) nature of the environment makes the cheap clothes look
even better value.
rumour has it this stores forecast of $70 million in sales will be broken and be more like
$100 million. boom!
H&M, GPO 1
the high lifealthough H&M is a discount retailer, this store would be
fitting for an high-end brand. part of that has to do with the
fact that this store mimics large luxury flagships like
Burberry’s Regent Street outlet, which have appropriated
and restored historic buildings.
it’s not about the $ we noticed that H&M making an effort to amp up it’s quality story around the clothes - using cues like calling out the fabric, that fact the garment is a unique to Australia, well as extending it’s Conscious line to this store.
although it’s not quite finished, this mall is unlike anything we’ve seen in Australia.
!beautifully designed, but more than that the selection of shops is probably the best in the
country (see Uniqlo and Muji below). !
it was a joy to walk – because it feels like it has been designed with the customer in mind.
Emporium 2
the bitcoin atmwhile we were walking the centre
we spotted a bitcoin atm being installed - turns out it’s the first in
Australia. !
there is expected to be 100 of these ATMs installed by 2015 and
an ambitious 500 globally by 2016. !
interesting move in a mall towards virtual currency.
it’s hard to go past this store. !
it’s the first in Australia for Uniqlo, and they’ve taken a design very similar to that elsewhere in
the world but made slight tweaks for the Australian market to help educate them on what
Uniqlo is. to help do this the store features point-of-sale with people from their local ambassador
program (like Australian golfer, Adam Scott).
Uniqlo, Emporium 3
make an entranceUniqlo does entrances well, even when they’re in a mall. they’ve taken over the Londsdale Street front with mannequins dressed in their clothes. !when you get inside the store, there’s no massive logo reminding you where you are…you know from everything around you which store you are entering.
navigation, explanation Uniqlo has a bit of explaining to do for the Aussie market and they’re
doing it well. they use sub-brand product labels throughout the store
to help navigate and then provide explanation on what exactly that
sub-brand is about.
Koko Black, Highpoint 4
this brand’s stores are perfect. they show that Koko know what they do – chocolate.
!instead of making their expansions into café
and coffee ‘front and centre’ (like Max Brenner), they keep this behind the
chocolate action. !
the staff are fabulous, wanting you to enjoy the experience, letting you try and taste as
you please.
know how to extend
this is a retailer who knows how to extend, without changing the meaning of their brand. this store offers corporate catering and a cafe, but all of this sits at the back of their main staple - chocolate. they aren’t confused about what business they are in.
Muji, Emporium 5Muji is the dark horse in the fleet of new
international arrivals in Australia. it’s probably the least known brand but it’s a formidable
competitor. they’ve carved-out their space in other markets – like the anti-Uniqlo – a little
darker, more about lifestyle private label, but still very Japanese.
!their stores in Chadstone and the Emporium are similar to their os versions (which are lite
versions of their Japanese concept – that has a supermarket, café, optometrist and even the
ability to buy a demountable house).
what is muji? similar to Uniqlo, Muji are doing a bit of education around what they are.
with a smaller international footprint than Uniqlo it looks like they are
having to be more explicit in how they go about this. that said they
are unashamedly Japanese, keeping their logo in Japanese throughout
the store.
Aesop, Emporium /Chadstone
6
we all know Aesop - it’s beautiful. we visited their Chadstone and newer Emporium store
and both are outstanding. !
from the entrance through to the customer experience, the brand has it pretty well nailed -
even when each store is slightly different.
when we visited we were served tea, while the sales staff spoke about product - making it a
place that doesn’t just look good, but has function too (something that often gets lost
when retailers focus on high design).
getting you in!across their stores, Aesop very
cleverly have their product to try at the door. it’s a nice touch to get
people to come instore, especially when displaying beauty products can
often be a whole lot less exciting than clothes or shoes. it makes it less intimidating for customers as
they can try without the pressure of a sales assistant.
!
Philippa’s, Armadale 7
this store was opened in 1994 by it’s namesake owner Philippa Grogan. it ’s not just a bakery
but a providore and cafe (and book seller). what we love about this store (aside from the
smell of bread) is the level of transparency they display (all done with a bit of attitude). to the point where you can do cooking classes at
the store to learn about how their products (which are resold at deli’s and stores around
the country ) are made. clever.
most times when retailers do pos, it gets very serious and rational. at Philippa’s this is not the case. their
pos is written on large pieces of butchers paper and a chalkboard which can be updated easily (and
obviously inexpensively). what’s written there has attitude, it’s fun
and open.
say it with attitude
Camilla, Emporium8Camilla has a strong aesthetic to her clothing
and this shines through to the store environment - which looks a lot like you’re
entering a moroccan bazaar. it’s a space that complements and almost enhances the clothes. it gives them context, if you’re unfamiliar with
the brand. !
we think this is a great example of how to take the creative direction of a product and expand
it to an environment (making sure the two aren’t divorced).
there are some stores that try to please everyone - they don’t want to offend and so they actually end
up in being forgotten. that is not the case with Camilla, she knows
the brand she is creating and who she is creating it for (which isn’t
the everywomen): "i design for confident, glamorous women who
enjoy a little bit of crazy”.
own it
Zara Zara, Highpoint9
we all know Zara (and it’s parent company Inditex) know how to run a store. we visited
their highpoint store and we though this was a great example of how they are increasing basket - with some clever merchandising
around the change rooms and clear navigation to kids and men.
!although their stores are fairly standard (seen
one, seen them all) its the small details like ranging that should be noted. here the range was definitely a little more upscale with less
urban wear than the Sydney’s Pitt Street Mall store (or at least it felt that way).
we thought this was pretty clever. on the entry to the change rooms at Zara, there’s a range of simple
clothes to add to the collection you’re trying on. i
!t’s a simple tactic to help increase
basket.
up-selling
Zara The Waiting Room, Emporium
10
for those who know the New York institution An Earnest Cut and Sew this store reminded us a lot of it. however, this is in fact the first retail outlet for Swedish fashion importer So
Agency. It stocks cult brand Dr Denim’s full range, as well as some cool accessories like like
ties and beard oil - it’s a hipsters dream. !
it’s a beautifully pulled-together concept and shows the value a store environment can have
on value perceptions (the $99 jeans in here look like amazing value).
!
industrial design
this is a store that’s all about craftsmanship expressed through reference to early industrial shop keeping/ manufacturing (thus making it similar to An Ernest Cut and Sew). this is pulled off from the way the staff are dressed to the typography on the front of the shop.
the takeaway environment is the product
the two aren’t separable to the customer, when they buy the product they are buying the place they purchased it in too. the environment has the ability to cheapen or make a product
look better value.
find the (natural) up-sell opportunity when you know how customers shop a store, you’ll know where they are open to up-sell
suggestions (where it won’t feel forced by the sales assistant).
complementary product is not core know how extensions into adjacent categories complement what you do and where they
belong in the store, without taking over the core offer.
you don’t need a big logo to make a big entrance the whole store should reflect the brand. If you take the logo away if should feel like it is the
brand - logo is just the sign-off.
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practice…we connect retailers with consumers.
Get in contact with us: enquire@retailoasis.com
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