Gap reveals launch date for first Australian store

American retailer Gap will open its first store on Thursday, 26 August in Victoria’s Chadstone Shopping Centre, with the company confirming it will price its products “competitively”.

The opening comes after years of hype and speculation, during which it was rumoured the popular American retailer was searching for a strategy to enter the Australian market.

The brand is set to open a 1,200 square store in Chadstone, in Melbourne’s East, and will sell products under the Gap brand only. Some of its locations in the US offer products under the Gap-owned Old Navy and Banana Republic brands, but it has been confirmed the Melbourne store will only offer Gap-name products.

Busby Holdings, which owns the franchising agreement for Gap in Australia through its Brand Republic subsidiary, says the store is nearly ready to go. Marketing manager YC says the store will open on 26 August, and she is confident the company will sit well alongside Melbourne’s already saturated fashion industry.

“The store will open on 26 August. The store will have a Gap feel, but it will be a free-standing Gap store with only the Gap brand. But we will have accessories, and kids and baby clothing products as well.”

Much has been said about Gap’s pricing model. A major drawing card is its cheap prices, and YC suggests that model will continue here as well.

“We are going to price everything quite competitively and we are going to try and stay as true to the brand as possible,” YC says.

The store has a focus on quality denim products, but also offers a range of different clothing products year-round. That seasonal change will allow Gap to fit in alongside Chadstone’s already high-end fashion offering.

“I guess we focus more on our classic pieces that make the basis of your wardrobe, and then you can tie that back in with our more forward-fashion pieces of the season. We’ll just have to wait and see how it all goes.”

A throng of American retailers have entered the Australian market over the past year in order to avoid a disastrous economic environment in the US. Experts say they have been attracted due to relatively solid retail sales, strong regulation and Australia’s stable economic performance during the financial crisis.

There are also rumours other international fashion brands including Victoria’s Secret, H&M and Abercrombie & Fitch are exploring the Australian market.