Adventure apparel and outdoor equipment retailer Kathmandu has confirmed its next new store location, as the brand pushes ahead with its retail expansion plan.
The brand, which recently recorded a sales increase of 24.5 per cent for the 2011 financial year, will open a new store in the regional city of Warnambool in Australia on November 23. The store will be split between two levels, spanning 450 square metres in total, and will stock the entire Kathmandu range.
Kathmandu general manager, business development & sustainability, Paul Stern said the Warnambool store launch is part of a larger strategy to expand the brand's presence in Australia, particularly in regional areas.
“Warnambool is a new regional market for Kathmandu, so we are expanding our reach,” he said.
“The plan is to open 15 new stores each year across Australia and New Zealand, with particular focus on Australia, as part of Kathmandu's 'Destination 2013' strategy. We have also been upgrading our stores and will look to broaden our product range in apparel and outdoor by innovating in existing categories.”
The latest store addition also follows the launch of a pop-up outlet at Bridge Road in Richmond on October 28, as well as two recent Kathmandu store openings in Wagga Wagaa and Cairns which Stern said have been “performing within expectations”.
These stores are also some of the first to feature the new Kathmandu branding, which is part of an overall brand refresh which commenced last month.
“We are in the midst of our brand refresh, which includes a new logo. We have currently refreshed approximately 50 new stores within our network and the plan is to complete the roll out of the 'new look' across all our new and existing stores within the next two years,” Stern said.
However, despite the retail rollout, Stern said the group will also be focusing on improving its online operations, with plans to gradually upgrade its websites to improve usability.
“We are continuing to enhance our online sites in Australia, the UK and New Zealand. We see great opportunities on this area, and we expect a lot of growth through these channels,” he said.