New Zealand-born brand Macpac is targeting Australia as its primary growth lever, with managing director Reuben Casey identifying the market's comparatively low brand awareness against a far larger addressable market as the clearest opportunity for the outdoor retailer.
Speaking at Super Retail Group's investor day this week, Casey said Macpac's brand awareness in Australia sits materially below its New Zealand home market, despite Australia representing a substantially larger market overall, calling it a clear opportunity to grow its store network.
Macpac currently operates 102 stores across Australia and New Zealand, with Super Retail Group targeting roughly 115 stores by FY31, up from 70 in FY19. The retailer runs a multi-format network, including smaller Explorer stores in high-traffic shopping centre locations such as Chatswood, north of Sydney, designed to drive brand awareness, and larger Adventurer-format stores in places such as Camperdown in Sydney’s Inner West, offering Macpac's full product range alongside online fulfilment support, supported by an outlet network.
Casey said the store network growth adds to two other pillars, including ramping up Australian brand awareness and continued focus on technical quality products.
He pointed to the wider Super Retail Group network as a key lever for building Australian awareness, with plans to develop Macpac's range across more than 330 BCF and Rebel stores. The group is also trialling airport retail locations at Cairns and Christchurch. Casey said increasing brand awareness would be a key driver of traffic, both in-store and online.
Macpac's loyalty program was highlighted as a key asset, with more than 900,000 active club members accounting for 81 per cent of sales and an NPS of 75. Casey said there was clear potential to further grow that membership, “particularly in Australia."
Casey, who joined the brand as managing director in August 2025, said the result of these foundational metrics has led to Macpac growing at 9 per cent CAGR over the last six years.
“[The team has] really done a great job at building up the business, and underpinning all of what we do is our commitment to sustainability, which starts with really designing products that really last the test of time through to offering repairs and the work we do for environmental actions across New Zealand and Australia,” Casey said.
"Brand awareness will be a key lever for us. It results in strong demand, which drives higher sales densities, which improves our operating profit margins."
Macpac operates in a $4 billion outdoor market that Casey described as "highly fragmented and increasingly competitive," spanning value players through to specialist outdoor retailers and brands.
While some categories such as puffer jackets and fleece are broadly contested, others remain niche. Casey said this reinforces the importance of a clear and differentiated offer.
“Our strength lies in delivering technical quality product at relatively accessible price points, backed by a strong brand and retail customer experience, and as a result, we believe we are well positioned,” Casey said. “We see significant headroom in the Australian market, in particular.”
Casey added that Macpac's ambition is to become the number one technical outdoor brand in Australasia – an aim he grounded in the brand's heritage of innovation and quality dating back to its founding in 1973.
He said that heritage continues to define both the brand's purpose and its promise to customers, underpinning the three growth pillars of product, brand and network expansion outlined in its five-year strategy.