Australian High Street Assault Continues With H&M, Uniqlo, Abs & Fitch, Forever 21

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Published

July 8, 2012

Last month’s announcement from TOPSHOP/TOPMAN reps that the British high-street retail giant had confirmed the place and opening date for Sydney’s long-awaited flagship store sent more than a few of you into an ERMAHGERD frenzy. That same hysteria is set to increase – if possible – with reports that Japanese retail mecca Uniqlo, ab-centric Abercrombie & Fitch and teen dream Forever 21 are all scouting locations in Sydney and Melbourne’s busiest retail hubs in the wake of the hysterical embrace Zara and TOPSHOP (all caps, all the time?) have received.

Zara have already confirmed their second Sydney store at Bondi Junction, and expect a total of four stores Australia wide by September. Now Topshop/Topman’s chairman Hilton Seskin (that name stinks of money) has confirmed to The Sunday Telegraph that the company are looking to open three more outlets within the next year – two more in Melbourne and another in Sydney.

According to a “well-placed source” of ours, Uniqlo are allegedly looking into Melbourne’s Emporium development between Lonsdale Street and Little Bourke Street, which is set to open in late 2013. Representatives from Colonial First State Global Asset Management, who are spearheading the production, could not be reached for comment. Hopefully diminutive brand rep and Wimbledon semi-finalist Novak Djokovic swings by to cut a ribbon or something.

While this is all very exciting, spare a thought for smaller local retailers who face impossibly high rent increases as competition from fast fashion giants drives rates skyward. Not only are they often nicer places to stock with less homogenised stock, they also have killer sales. Plus, with the City of Sydney’s proposed extension of retail hours, you’d be wise to consider just where to spend your hard-earned cash monies. You probably stopped reading at Abercrombie & Fitch. HERPPY SHERPPING!