Topshop Attracts Crowds for Sydney Grand Opening

Hype for the opening of UK fashion chain Topshop will climax this morning as the new Sydney location on George Street opens its doors to eager shoppers.

Following the smashing success of its Melbourne store opening last December, Topshop is joining the likes of Zara and Gap in the city’s prime shopping precinct. Upwards of 30,000 shoppers are expected to visit the store on opening day, the Daily Telegraph said.

"The Sydney store really is a big slice of Oxford Circus [their flagship store in London],” said Topshop International’s Creative Director Kate Phelan to Time Out Sydney. “It's a fashion playground that the Sydney girl is going to love."

SEE RELATED STORIES FROM THE WDM CONTENT NETWORK:

• Asia Pacific Expansion Boosts Sales for Zara, H&M
• Topshop Is Coming To Melbourne
• Salvos Stores Celebrate 129 Years of Sustainable Fashion
• More Australians Shop with Technology

Read the latest issue of Business Review Australia

In addition to apparel, accessories, shoes and make-up, the megastore will feature collaborative collections and personal shopping suites for Topshop and Topman shoppers. Item deliveries will hit Australian shores twice-weekly direct from the UK, the magazine reported.

While the influx of international brands has hit smaller retailers with higher rent prices and unparalleled competition, from a business perspective, the growth has been welcomed.

"It's an exciting new retailer in the old Gowings building, it puts people into the precinct and it means a lot more people shopping,'' said Executive Director of the Australian Retail Association Russell Zimmerman to the Daily Telegraph.

There are more to come: Already at 2,575 stores worldwide, H&M is expected to add 275 stores by the end of the year with rumoured locations in Sydney and Melbourne.

Other global fashion brands including Abercrombie & Fitch, Uniqlo and Forever 21 have also reportedly set their sights on expanding Down Under.