Travel brand July is opening its largest flagship store to date at Melbourne’s QV shopping centre, marking the final Australian retail location before turning its attention to international expansion.
Spanning more than 250sqm, the Melbourne CBD store is designed by Melbourne-based studio In Addition. The flagship draws inspiration from European piazzas, featuring terrazzo flooring, marble finishes, sculptural brass lighting, handcrafted timber furnishings and hand-painted ceiling frescoes by Sydney artist George Raftopolous.
The opening follows a year of product innovation for the luggage brand, including the launch of CaseSafe, which it says is the world’s first suitcase with a built-in tracker, and the Capsule Carry On Pro.
“Melbourne is where it all started for us, so we wanted a monumental homecoming for our 3000 flagship,” said July co-founder Athan Didaskalou.
“Rich and I have thrown absolutely everything at this space. Literally every centimetre has been obsessed over. We’re extremely excited to welcome everyone in.”
The store has been designed as an immersive retail experience, with three interconnected spaces that encourage customers to explore rather than simply browse.
The flagship stocks July’s full range of luggage, bags and travel accessories, while also showcasing a preview of the brand’s upcoming Endless Summer collection ahead of its national launch later this year.
Didaskalou said the Melbourne opening closes one chapter of the company’s retail journey while signalling another.
“This will be the last store we build in Australia. That’s a strange thing to say because it isn’t the end. It’s the beginning of our next chapter. As we take July into more markets around the world, we wanted to leave Australia with something that genuinely represents who we are and where we’re headed.”
- Further reading: Construction begins on $170 million Melbourne Central development.
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