Australia’s first Zara Home has opened at Highpoint Shopping Centre in Melbourne’s west.
The store is the first standalone Home concept for the Spanish fashion brand, with a second store expected to open by mid year in Sydney’s Pitt St Mall.
The global home décor brand is the third international retailer in as many months to open at Highpoint, following the lead of Victoria’s first Dior Perfume & Beauty Boutique in December 2014, and US-based health club, Crunch Fitness, which will open its doors for the first time in Victoria in mid March.
Other international tenants at Highpoint include Zara, Topshop Topman, and Chanel Fragrance & Beauty. Highpoint is also the only shopping centre in Australia to house both Zara and Topshop.
The GPT Group’s head of retail, Vanessa Orth, said the introduction of Zara Home at Highpoint reinforces GPT’s reputation for delivering strong international and local retailers, building on a robust retail set already available at the centre.
“We’re very pleased to be welcoming Zara Home to Highpoint and are delighted to be the first Australian shopping centre owner to give customers convenient access to this highly sought after international offering,” Orth said.
“The introduction of Zara Home will provide our customers with another reason to shop at Highpoint and further strengthen its position as one of Melbourne’s leading retail destinations.”
Terry Christofides, MD of the Highpoint Property Group, said he was thrilled for the Highpoint customer to have a first to Australia offer, which aligns with the demand of the evolving new west.
“Zara Home is sure to be a success at Highpoint with our catchment area being in one of the fastest growing economic regions in Australia,” Christofides said.
The opening of Zara Home follows the release of a new IbisWorld report that found international fast fashion retailers’ expansion into the homewares category in Australia poses a challenge to established local retailers, with the fast fashion brands which expected to enjoy double digit annualised growth in homewares and furniture sales over the next five years.
