An Australian footwear brand will step into new international markets next year, opening flagship stores in the Middle East and South Africa. Holster’s first international store is slated for January in Dubai at the Atlantis Resort. The second store will follow in February in Durban, South Africa. Three stores are planned for South Africa in 2015 in partnership with a local licensee. The second will open by July in Johannesburg. Headquartered in Noosa, this year Holster reporte
ed a 25 per cent year on year sales lift, with 500,000 pairs of shoes sold globally.
Holster has one retail store in Australia, alongside its head office and warehouse, and is stocked in more than 2200 department stores and boutiques worldwide, including Harrods, Selfridges, and Nordstrom. Locally, it is stocked at David Jones, which recorded a 23 per cent rise in Holster sales this year.
Ben Nothling, director of Holster, told Inside Retail Premium the 45sqm store at Atlantis Resort, home to one of Dubai’s largest water parks, will be a test for the brand in the Middle East, admitting it opted for a smaller site due to high rents.
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