and makes them want to come back in store again and again,” said Loucinda McCorry, general manager of Myer Melbourne. Launching in all five Myer flagship stores this week, Santaland features the Santaland Express, a life-sized old-school train carriage that whisks shoppers away on a virtual journey from Myer Central Station to Santaland. From there, customers can visit the Clauses’ residence for photos with Santa as well as Santa’s workshop, which will host a range of experiences including a Nerf toy testing area, Lego imagination centre, Santa’s crayola mailroom, a snow gaming zone and personalised Christmas photo wall. “We were inspired by the opportunity to bring the things we loved about the traditions of celebrating Christmas as children and pair that with the incredible innovations we experience through technology today,” said Danny Lattouf, head of retail at Y&R ANZ, who collaborated with Myer on the project. “Our aim was to create the ultimate Christmas adventure. A place where childhood Christmas never ends.” A curated shopping experience Myer’s glamorous personal shopping service has also relaunched as a complimentary offer to customers in a dedicated space featuring luxurious private suites. “The personal shopping service is accessible to all customers. Whether it’s the convenience of having your Christmas shopping co-ordinated for you, updating your summer wardrobe, or finding a perfect outfit for an upcoming event, Myer’s personal shoppers are able to curate and style for all customers,” McCorry told Inside Retail. “Myer’s personal shoppers carefully curate a shopping experience that is unique to each individual. From the pre-appointment consultation, to the appointment in our luxury suites, through to the personalised follow-up, our personal shoppers can make everyday shopping an extraordinary experience.” The new suites feature bespoke screening and flexible gathering spaces for both individual and group appointments, while the chic private rooms feature plush fabrics, integrated materials, lighting and bespoke interiors, creating a luxe and comfortable environment. Customers can book their appointments online. Lattouf believes the service offers a more human, personalised layer to the physical shopping experience, in comparison to online shopping. “It brings a whole collection of things together to make it better, more personal and more human all whilst being incredibly convenient,” he explained.  “If I need a new pair of jeans or an entire outfit for the races, I don’t have to cycle websites (and several returns), I don’t have to work my way through 4000m2 of brands on a shop floor – I simply book a time convenient for me, brief a personal shopper on my needs, turn up and get spoilt for (highly curated) choice by a specialist.” The personal shopping service is available at Myer stores in Sydney City, Melbourne City, Doncaster, Highpoint, Macquarie, Chatswood and Warringah.