CALEXICO IN VALLEY MENSWEAR OPENING
LUXURY fashion boutique Calexico will open a second store in Fortitude Valley’s desired James St precinct, focused on menswear.
Despite a tough retail market, owner Nicky Charman said she was banking on the luxury retail market, generally less affected by interest rate changes than other retail sectors, to remain strong.
A strong consumer response to a selection of men’s fashion in the first store, also on James St, prompted her to take over the site previously occupied by Lorna Jane. Calexico Man is set to open in October.
“We had a great response to having men’s products in store,” she said.
Ms Charman said her sales were up on this time last year but the global online marketplace was the business’s main competitor.
“Calexico stocks more than 80 international brands, so everything we get in we pay duty, we pay shipping, we pay GST, so it can be tricky to compete,” she said.
“Where the Australian dollar is at the moment we can still be quite competitive with overseas sites and we make up for it in other ways, such as by providing amazing specialised service to our clients.
“I also think shoppers like to still have that personal connection with what they’re buying, particularly when it comes to high-end items ... we like to say offline is the new luxury,” Ms Charman said.