By Aimee Chanthadavong
With 120 further stores still scheduled to open at Westfield Sydney, Datamonitor believes the highlight for the redeveloped shopping centre will be the arrival of Spain’s Zara in 2011.
Anne Marie Davis, Datamonitor retail practice leader, told Retailbiz that unlike international brands, such as Gap and DKNY Jeans, which have entered the Australian retail market due to the launch of Westfield Sydney’s stage one opening, Zara will bring greater excitement to the market.
“Zara has broad range of clothing. It has evening wear, work wear and leisure wear in both classic and fast fashion styles. It caters for men, women and children and its advanced supply chain means its ranges are ever-changing too which holds customers’ interest. Gap and DKNY also add to the variety of retailers Sydney has to offer but they are a little bit more niche,” she said.
According to Davis, bringing Zara into the market will further entice other international brands to open in Australia.
“Retailers know that Zara has an appealing offer. There will be clothing retailers that will be keen to keep up with its international expansion but it also has a magnetic force – it is an attractive retailer to be in close proximity of.,” she said.
“However, many other apparel retailers simply aren’t in a position to cater for the seasonal difference in Australia and the impact on stock and the supply chain. Zara already has some experience in the southern hemisphere and has centralised control over its manufacturing and logistics information.”