Australia and New Zealand’s leading destination for travel and fashion bags, Strand has opened its new Highpoint flagship store in Melbourne’s west – the first in-store expression of the brand’s evolution from Strandbags.
The new store is the retailer’s largest yet at 380 square feet with a new layout, improved visual merchandising, digital integration and dedicated sections to showcase its range of world-class brands.
It also offers a concierge assisted service model with highly trained handbag stylists and expert luggage advisors, one-on-one service bar for access to expert product knowledge, Click & Collect order pick up and pre-orders on new arrivals, a seamless checkout system thanks to mobile point-of-sale (POS).
Digital screens at all customer touchpoints easily direct the customer to their intended destination and showcase promotional offers. There is also a window into the back-of-house wrap and pack station for online orders.
Strand’s new Highpoint store upgrade follows news of the company’s visionary modernisation strategy that is set to attract a new generation of shoppers and prepare the business for major growth.
Strand group CEO, Felicity McGahan said, “Our incredible new flagship store at Highpoint is the culmination of bringing the new brand strategy to life, blurring the lines between physical and digital and giving our curation of brands the room to shine for the customer. With dedicated branded zones, enhanced digital innovation and an elevated customer experience, we know that the blueprint for this flagship sets the perfect tone for the evolution of Strand stores moving forward.”
Strand’s 260+ stores across Australia and New Zealand will also be upgraded across three years with the business making plans to upsize its portfolio by increasing square meterage throughout the transition. By 2026, Strand is expected to grow the total square footage of their stores by 52%.