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Cologne – Eau-de-Cologne
To start our new year of store reviews from international retail destinations, leading visual merchandising consultant Karl McKeever of Visual Thinking looks back to give a flavour of how Christmas 2009 was celebrated 'down under', reporting from the cosmopolitan city of Sydney, Australia.
Famous for its magnificent Harbour Bridge, iconic Opera House and soaring Crows Nest Tower, Sydney and its surrounding districts have an abundance of shopping areas, which in recent years have been dramatically transformed. Unlike many cities in the rest of the world that have spent much of the last 18 months under the cloud of the global recession, Australia in comparison has weathered the economic storms surprisingly well.
Here, national fiscal intervention that provided everyone with $1,000 of spending power in the form of a Government cheque, helped to make a big difference to keep retailers on track. As a result, there is evidence everywhere of the still growing retail sector throughout the state of New South Wales, and specifically in Sydney's city centre.
In Australia, whilst there is plenty of high street shopping to be found, it's the air conditioned malls that dominate in a place where daily temperatures often exceed 40ºC in the sweltering summer months.
This, along with the general lifestyle is cited as one of the main reasons responsible for the huge influx of British migrants, who have arrived on Australian shores in recent times. Either way, to the British traveller, the change in climate comes as some welcome relief from the bleak wintry weather that much of the UK has suffered lately.
In Sydney's central Pitt Street area known as the CBD, (Central Business District), two major retail redevelopment projects are currently underway from the Westfield Group and Lend Lease. These are due to open in the first half of 2010, further boosting the city's appeal.
In 2005, Westfield Group took over management rights of the majority of retail space in the Pitt Street area, through their acquisition of Sydney Central Plaza and Imperial Arcade. Sitting directly below the spectacular, iconic Sydney Tower, the retail space in the former Central Plaza is being comprehensively and ambitiously upgraded, aiming to provide a similar experience to the company's sister development at Westfield London. Its location is amongst the best of Sydney's retail highlights, and will no doubt make this centre a big success.
During December, one store received even more attention than usual. At the Sydney branch of upscale national department store chain David Jones, the crowd's gathered to look in wonder at its lavish, themed Christmas windows.
These portrayed traditional Christmas carols brought to life by hundreds of miniature marionette puppets in enchanting 3-D vignettes. The beautiful and fascinating effects were loved by both parents and children alike.
For travellers more familiar with experiencing Christmas in the cold, dark winter months, seeing onlookers dressed in skimpy clothes and wearing their 'sunnies', comes with some wry bemusement and a feeling that everything is not quite right!
This however is a fact of life for the festive period here. The traditional red and green decorations are used, liberally and incongruously to adorn the beachwear, patio and picnic furniture departments in every Sydney store. The decorations themselves were nothing to rave home about - just their unusual juxtaposition.
In another part of the city, Sydney has a contrasting mall scene. In the historic Queen Victoria Building, or QVB, originally designed as a shopping centre, it was later used for a variety of purposes until its restoration and return to its original use in the late twentieth century. Here, traditional architecture is celebrated and stores feature smaller and more specialist retail experiences.
Not far from the city centre, another recent Westfield acquisition and remodel project can be found at Westfield Bondi Junction. As its name suggests, this mall is close to the famous surf beach, and is now the hang-out of choice for trendy 30-something's of the smart Eastern suburbs.
Comprehensively and stylishly renovated, it plays host to a wide range of 'grade A' stores with both local and international brands, many of which relocated from the city's once 'uber cool' Oxford Street area. As a result, Oxford Street has lost much of its trendy appeal, allowing its seedier side to drift further up the street, with cheap take-away outlets and rowdy bars taking up more of the vacant units. Interestingly, unlike the UK, Sydney has not seen a proliferation of charity shops swooping on the leases and opening up shop.
Inside Bondi Junction, a variety of major department stores, lifestyle brands and independent labels easily rub shoulders in a smart modern environment. Look out for branches of successful national retailers, such as Country Road, Seed, Satch, Ripcurl and others, alongside exclusive boutiques from Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Tag Heuer etc.
Travelling across the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge takes you into North Sydney and its surrounding areas. Exclusive, multi-million dollar homes are nestled into tree-lined cliffs, framed by dazzling yachts on clear blue water with a seemingly endless blue sky.
Not far is the smart residential area of Chatswood. Here one of the most attractively designed and luxurious malls in the New South Wales state is found. With many unusual, exclusive and ultra 'luxe' stores available to shop, Australian retail design takes on a whole new meaning, with one of the most stylish and healthy food courts I have found.
Store highlights include gift retailer T2, clothing from Marcs, Witchery and Gorman, chic beauty brand Aesop, and the exclusive jeans retailer That Store. However, for those on more modest budgets, Sydney boasts many other malls to choose from at each budget level. Whether with a food, fashion or home focus, there are malls to suit all tastes and pockets.
For me, one of the most striking things about Australia today, is the speed in which its retail sector has been transformed. Noticeably and within the last five years, huge strides have been made in transforming customer expectations with vibrant, modern, high-quality malls that offer all kinds of great shopping experiences. No more will tourists leave the country thinking that stores were in any way deficient to those found at home, and with the exchange rate being so favourable, you can buy plenty without spending a lot.
So for those people already thinking ahead to where they will be spending Christmas this year, I can thoroughly recommend a Christmas 'down under' for a truly unforgettable experience that combines the best of sun, sea and shopping.