Australian luxury jewellery retailer, Secrets, will open a Brisbane flagship store within the premises of Westfield Chermside on September 9.
The new store will be located at the first level of the shopping centre, which has recently undergone a $355 million redevelopment. Level 1 has been refreshed with new tiling and design, reflecting the new fashion, lifestyle, dining and entertainment precincts.
According to the jewellery retailer, which currently has a mix of eight company stores and two franchise-owned stores in key Australian retail markets as well as an e-commerce platform, with former Michael Hill CEO Mike Parsell at the helm, Secrets is being steered on a course of rapid expansion.
“The Secrets brand sits in the luxury space and really appeals to a core section of the market who love style, what the brand can deliver, and value-for-money,” Parsell said.
The new Secrets flagship at the shopping centre, now known as the largest Westfield in Australia, will be surrounded by other premium fashion brands such as Scotch & Soda and Aquila.
The new fashion gallery above houses three international high street retailers: Sephora, H&M and Zara.
Secrets has recently opened new stores in Carindale, Brisbane (June) and Mackay, north Queensland (July) and another two slated to open before the end of the year.
Parsell said the biggest challenge for retailers, particularly in the mid-market, was differentiation and relevance to new consumers, with consumers increasingly aligning themselves with brands that reflect their personal lifestyle and taste.
“One of the co-founders of Secrets, Dietmar Gorlich, is a jewellery designer who has spent a lot of time in the luxury space,” Parsell said.
“He strongly believed you could combine exquisite design with simulated diamonds and coloured stones that would produce a unique product proposition enabling people to access luxury 10 and 14ct gold jewellery at an affordable price. That’s the core idea that started the brand and it has led to a strong following at Secrets.”
“Your ability to differentiate your design or product positioning is absolutely paramount in the future of our industry,” he said.
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