Apple for Brisbane, UK’s Topshop said to be eyeing ex-Borders stores

Apple is set to spend more than $10 million on its first retail site in Brisbane’s CBD and British clothing operator Topshop is tipped to take over some vacated Borders sites for its Australian entry later this year.

Topshop is rumoured to be interested in taking over Borders bookshop sites in Chapel Street and Chadstone shopping centre in Melbourne as well as setting up in the Chatswood shopping centre in Sydney.

David Gordon, partner in charge of national retail advisory practice at WHK Group, says Chapel Street would welcome news of Topshop filling the 2800 square metre Borders site.

“It has the potential to assist in the revival of the strip,” Gordon says. “And if Topshop got into the major shopping centres that should be seen as a positive because it would reintroduce foot traffic.”

Gordon does not believe Zara, the Spanish fashion giant which has seen huge trade since entering the Australian market a few months ago, would be seriously challenged by Topshop’s arrival.

He says Topshop would likely provide a fillip for youth-oriented fashion stores such as Sportsgirl, but could raise concerns for Myer and David Jones.

Retail experts are divided on whether Australia remains an attractive location for international retailers.

“It’s not as cut and dried as before,” Kevin Moore of Crossmark says of the case for expansion in Australia, citing the recent spate of negative economic data.

But Brian Walker, managing director of the Retail Doctor, says it wouldn’t surprise him if Topshop arrived because the UK giant is a “big footprint operator” and the idea has been talked about for some time.

Walker adds that Australia’s economy is tracking much better than the US, UK and Europe.

Elsewhere, global tech giant Apple is set to open a store in Queen Street Mall in Brisbane.

According to The Australian Financial Review Apple will spend $3.8m removing “modern additions” from the heritage-listed Macarthur Chambers building.

Spanish fashion giant Zara is also set to open in the Queensland capital, with Walker suggesting it could open 40 stores in Australia during the next few years.