Inside story: how Vicinity helped July become one of the most sought-after luggage brands

25 June, 2024
A wood panelled store with luggage on display and person working behind a desk
Vicinity has worked with July to help it grow from online only to physical retail storesCredit: Vicinity Centres

Heading away on holidays soon or wish you were? That's how Melbourne friends Athan and Richard named their premium luggage startup company back in 2018, inspired by the month that sees many Australians escape winter and head on vacation.

After initially launching as an online business, July has now expanded with multiple physical retail stores at Vicinity assets following support and guidance from Vicinity's leasing team over the years.

With a focus on a strong relationship and fostering sustainable growth, Vicinity's team has supported July through different physical retail solutions from pop ups to flagships.

Sharing the story of the Vicinity x July journey is Vicinity's Regional Leasing Manager, Aaron Barnes and National Brand Space Manager, Laryssa Johnston.

Aaron, can you start with a little bit about the July story and how is all started with Vicinity?

AB: I first connected with the owners of July about five years ago when they were still considered a start-up. They had a successful online business but hadn’t yet ventured into a bricks and mortar store.

July is a luxury travel accessories business and befitting with their brand, Vicinity needed to find premium spaces for them to venture into physical retail and grow their brand presence.

We started with a pop up space at Melbourne CBD's home of premium brand retailers, Emporium Melbourne, sitting alongside other high end Australian brands including Gorman, Camilla and Marc, and Bec + Bridge.

A positive period followed which then led the July team to look to expand north to Sydney CBD before COVID disrupted the world.

Fast forward a couple of years and the mix of presenting luggage in a physical space to the premium customers at our Sydney CBD centres remained and July opted for a short term lease at The Galeries to test out the Sydney market.

And how was the pop up received at The Galeries?

AB: July is very much aligned with style, luxury and fashion, and is therefore a great fit for our premium assets. The short term lease at The Galeries was a huge success, so good in fact July couldn’t keep up with the demand and had to keep extra stock offsite to fill sales!

It became clear that they needed more space and something that really brought their brand to life, so we started working with them on plans for a new flagship store at The Galeries, which eventually opened May 2024.

a glass store front surrounded by stone walls shows luggage and a minimalist fitout inside
July's flagship opens in Sydney CBD in The GaleriesCredit: Vicinity Centres
Tell us about the fit out at the July flagship at The Galeries?

AB: The design is sensational! It's an elevated resort feel, led by our Retail Design team and envisioned by a Melbourne-based design studio.

The result is an immersive retail experience where customers can explore, interact with, and test products in a meticulously designed interior.

The atmosphere exudes openness and brightness, providing a comfortable and spacious shopping environment. This carefully curated retail area is both inviting and practical, effectively displaying products while incorporating a sophisticated mix of textures and exquisite detailing.

How important are the relationships you form with retailers and with leasing teams across assets?

AB: Key to what we do in Leasing is understanding the retailers, and really understanding who their customer is. We assess the brand’s needs and work closely across assets and teams and really see how we can help the retailer achieve their strategy, while perfecting the retailer mix at our assets.

It's about working out what’s suitable and sometimes, if there’s not the right space, thinking outside the box and engaging Mall Leasing or Brand Space to just see what we can do to make it happen.

Colourful suitcases and travel accessories on display in a modern store
July is a premium travel accessories brand born in MelbourneCredit: Vicinity Centres
Speaking about Brand Space, Laryssa, July also recently moved into Chadstone too?

Athan and Richard engaged with the Brand Space team mid-2023 to find the perfect activation space at Chadstone to showcase their incredible product. After record sales in the activation site, July moved to a strategically positioned pop up store with a view to moving to a permanent store in the future.

July luggage pop up store with luggage and travel accessories under a glass dome in Chadstone shopping centre
July, ChadstoneCredit: Vicinity Centres
What is the role of the Brand Space team and how did you support July from activation to a pop up store?

Our Brand Space vision is to deliver new to market and exciting activations which bring unique experiences to our centres.

We work with our retail partners to create unparalleled brand activation experiences that create WOW moments for both brands and consumers.

Spending time getting to know the brand, the vision and the target consumer are all critical considerations in this process.


How did the activation space come to life?

Our strong relationship with July allowed us to create this incredible pop-up, taking the learnings from previous iterations.

The objective was to make an impact – and that it did.  Similar to getting the brand activation space right, collaboration is key, and we also work with brands in finding the right builder.

The journey of July from brand activation to pop up space to permanent flagship store is our dream result for a growing retail brand.

To find out how our leasing team uses data insights and local knowledge to find the perfect space for brands, head over to our Retail Solutions page.
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About Vicinity Centres
Vicinity is one of Australia’s leading retail property groups dedicated to shaping meaningful places where communities connect. It owns and manage some of the most recognisable and loved retail destinations across Australia. From small community shopping centres to world-class destination centres like the iconic Chadstone in Melbourne and Queen Victoria Building in Sydney. Vicinity’s vision is to prosper with our people and communities by creating Australia’s most compelling portfolio of retail-led destinations.
For further information contact:
Corporate Communicationsmedia.relations@vicinity.com.au

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