New TCFAQ committee

BRISBANE: Peterson Levy & Associates managing director Philip Levy has been appointed the new chairman of the Textile Clothing and Footwear Industry of Queensland (TCFAQ). The decision, announced at the group's recent AGM also saw Steve Spence, a director of Seaborne, elected vice chairman and Hedley Williams (director of Durrant Holdings) named treasurer. Geoff Makin, a director of Wendy Makin Bridal Designs, was elected secretary. Other committee members voted in at the meeting include Peter Winlaw (Uniform Management Services), Warren Bray (DR Manufacturers), Wendy Armstrong (QUT) and Scott Robinson (Onerve Pty).

:NZ clothing sales down
AUCKLAND: Clothing was New Zealand's poorest performing retail sector in April, newly released figures from Statistics New Zealand (SNZ) show. The figures, released earlier this month, showed the sales of clothing and soft goods fell $NZ17 million ($A14.3 million) - or 7.9 per cent - in the four weeks ending April 30. SNZ said the sector had been trading down since December, dropping 4.3 per cent between then and April.

:Fittings fever
MELBOURNE: Shop fittings specialist firm Storeworks [by Henmark] is set to open its first Victorian showroom. Located at unit 4, 17 to 19 Miles Street, Mulgarve, Melbourne, the showroom boasts a new personality in the form of customer service representative Denis Manning and will also feature examples of the racks, mannequins and showcases the brand has on offer. The store opens officially on July 3, and opening hours will be 10am to 3pm Monday to Friday. For more: denism@storeworks.com.au

:Ipoh promo
SYDNEY: Retail property owner Ipoh Management Services has announced a change to its leasing team. A former group leasing executive, Grant Isaacs, has been promoted to the position of group leasing manager, replacing Matthew Luchich. Isaacs has been with Ipoh for the past 18 months since relocating from Melbourne where he was a leasing executive with Jones Lang La Salle.

:Chasing new brands
PERTH: Eyewear brand Sunglass Hut, childrenswear retailer Pumpkin Patch and its youthwear counterpart Urban Angel are among a host of new tenants to have opened up flagship stores in Perth's Forrest Chase development in recent weeks. Men's and womenswear retailer Fletcher Jones and eyewear retailer Optical Superstore have also taken space within the 41,000m² complex. The centre's leasing agent, Lease Equity, said the new brands would help strengthen the profile as Perth's CBD fashion destination.

:Online belts
SYDNEY: Leathergoods importer Belts Uomo has gone online in the hope of increasing the profile of the brand. The new website will allow the Canterbury-based brand, which has representatives covering Australia, Fiji and New Zealand, to receive orders on line as well as showcasing a full selection of its products, including belts, wallets, bracers, armbands and bolo ties. Owner Ursula Philipps has also engineered a special promotion to celebrate the launch which will involve discounts for all orders taken online during July. For more: beltsuomo.com.au