The new sub brand of one of Australia's best known retailers heralds a split in the road and a boost in traffic.
Country Road CEO Ian Moir has claimed Trenery, created to target the 40-plus men's and women's markets, will mean savings for the company and a boon for consumers.
Announced on February 5, Trenery will first get the chance to test its strength in South Africa, under a proposed arrangement with Country Road majority shareholder Woolworths South Africa, which will stock it from August in 16 of its stores. The brand would then open three stores in Australia in September, Moir confirmed, adding it represented a growth opportunity in both countries.
"Operating both brands in two markets creates economies of scale that will help us to manage costs and offer great value. Furthermore, Trenery is expected to be funded from existing business cash flow and not debt. We are continuing to build our business through the current economic downturn, and we expect to be very well placed when the recovery comes," he said.
Building on "the cornerstones of quality, fashionability and value that have made Country Road one of Australia's most enduring and successful fashion brands," Trenery had been created to redefine fashion for 40-plus men and women who had come of age with Country Road, he confirmed.
"People in their 40s and beyond follow fashion trends, want to look good and want brands that are designed specifically for where they are today. That doesn't mean dowdy, boring or safe but modern, accessible 'everyday luxury', which is where Trenery is pitched."
The new brand represents a high point for Country Road, which has overcome troubled times through a long term turnaround in recent years. In January the retailer defied global economic gloom to announce it expected a 70 to 80 per cent profit hike for the six months to December 31, 2008, from $8 million in the previous corresponding period.