rally, China represents the biggest opportunity in Asia for the luggage retailer. Stockdale said the plan is to open about 20 new stores in China. The company already has five stores in Singapore and two in Malaysia, and Stockdale was recently in Hong Kong in discussion with key malls for its first rollout there. At present the bag company has 20 stores in all Australian states (except Tasmania), the majority of which are in Sydney and Melbourne, with a number in Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. Stores opening up shortly in Australia include at the Gold Coast’s Pacific Fair in August; in the new development area at Melbourne’s Chadstone; and in Chatswood in Sydney later this year. The redesigned Little Bourke St store, which opened on June 2, is part of the strategy to lift the brand profile as well as placing stores in locations with more traffic. The store was moved two doors down from its original site, to the corner location, which gave it a stronger window front as well as doubling the size. This redesign, which has seen sales and traffic double for the Little Bourke St store in its first month, is considered crucial in the expansion of the concept, said Stockdale. “I needed something that tells the brand story but is also scalable and is a really nice shopping experience,” Stockdale said of the new Little Bourke St store. “We’re trying to bring it back into the brand, where it all started – which was really in the laneways of Melbourne where it grew up. We brought some really key elements back into the store design.” Behind a thick veneer of paint, the store walls were stripped back to reveal striking bricks that are now an aesthetic feature. In addition, a simple but iconic feature of the laneways – the humble milk crate – was given new life in the redesign. “The red and black milk crates dispersed throughout the store are really a nod back to the laneways,” Stockdale said. “The milk being delivered in crates and back on the street in the early morning – you could see them everywhere.” Crates are also incorporated into the demonstration areas and the chandelier sitting over the central point of sale. “The chandelier is made of out of milk crates – which I really love,” Stockdale said. “The use of milk crates gives the store a really warm feeling as well, which is a great outcome.” Aligning with the redesign and to make the store easier for the customer to navigate, Stockdale organised the Crumpler range into five core categories. Play – which has lots of colour and is usually the first purchase into the brand for a new customer; Work; Photo; 1995 – the heritage Messenger bags; and Travel. Stockdale said this categorisation also helps to highlight the product range. Current stores will be refitted with the new design that works well from 60sqm up, with a preference for 70sqm to 100sqm. Stockdale said Crumpler stores tend to do particularly well near food courts and coffee shops. “I think it’s simply because of the traffic,” Stockland said. “It is a brand that can bring people in, and certainly after the first purchase, it leads to a very high rate of loyalty as well.”