Apparel and Footwear Specialist Retailers in Australia

PROSPECTS

Athleisure trend shows no sign of stopping

The growing popularity of athleisure wear among Australian consumers looks set to remain one of the most influential trends in apparel and footwear specialist retailers over the forecast period. Players across the channel are increasingly expanding and adapting their collections in response to this trend, which has been a boon to the fortunes of a number of retailers in recent years.

Ethical consumerism likely to drive changes in sourcing policies

Ethical consumerism is on the rise in Australia, and retailers of all kinds are adapting their businesses accordingly. For example, in 2018 online fashion retailer Asos announced that it was partnering with animal welfare group PETA and would no longer sell items made from silk, cashmere, mohair and feathers from the start of 2019.

Zara joins wave of apparel and footwear specialists moving online

Several apparel and footwear specialists in Australia moved to strengthen their online presence towards the end of the review period, partly in response to the widely anticipated entry of global behemoth Amazon (which arrived in late 2017). These included Zara, which launched its Australian website in March 2018.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

End of the road for Shoes of Prey

Shoes of Prey, an online retailer specialising in customised footwear, went into liquidation in March 2019 after months of efforts to rescue the struggling business proved futile. Having once been a notable success story among Australian e-commerce start-ups, it fell into debt following a failed attempt to adapt its model for a mass market audience.

Competition heats up among sports footwear retailers

The aggressive expansion of JD Sports since it entered in Australia in 2017 has ramped up pressure on other retailers with a heavy focus on sports footwear. These include Accent Group (formerly RCG Corp Ltd), which operates the Hype DC, Platypus and The Athlete’s Foot chains.

Victoria’s Secret opens flagship store in Melbourne

Victoria’s Secret officially entered Australia in late 2018 with the opening of a flagship store in Chadstone Shopping Centre, Melbourne. The huge outlet is similar to the retailer’s famous Fifth Avenue location in New York in terms of layout and design.

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