Ray-Ban to open first Australian store

Premium eyewear retailer Ray-Ban is opening its first Australian store at Westfield Doncaster shopping centre in Melbourne on October 3.

The store will hold the largest selection of Ray-Ban sunglasses and optical available in Australia, with over 650 styles, including limited-edition models available for the first time in this market and exclusive to the store.

“This important Melbourne opening follows in the footsteps of our store openings in New York, London, Tokyo and Milan,” Ray-Ban brand director Alessandro Chiarelli said.

“We want to translate the core principles of the Ray-Ban spirit into a physical space, the best expression of the Ray-Ban brand.”

The Doncaster store will provide Ray-Ban prescription lenses, with a full-time optometrist and the latest eyecare technology to offer comprehensive eye tests.

“Australian consumers, especially Melbournians, are extremely savvy about quality and trends, and this new Australian boutique will bring them a unique, world-class eyewear experience,” Ray-Ban parent company Luxottica’s general manager of optical retail Australia and New Zealand Alfonso Cerullo said.

“The opening of the Ray-Ban store not only helps Ray-Ban further grow its awareness, but also launches a new retail model… Ray-Ban retail destinations represent a place intended to be not only a shop, but a full brand experience.”

Ray-Ban currently has 116 stores worldwide, with 95 in Greater China, 10 in Latin America, eight in North America, two in Europe and one in South-East Asia, with plans to reach 200 stores by the end of the 2018.

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