Retail - Clothing & Accessories

There is an almost infinite multitude of styles in fashion and it varies by geography, economic conditions and exposure to different cultures. It ranges from haute couture to more affordable clothes. Since the world of fashion and clothing in general is always changing, there is always a need for designers to come up with trendy designs and for manufacturers to produce these clothes for sale.

The Australian clothing manufacturing industry has been a major component in the national economy. In the 1980s, Australia's policy to the clothing industry was liberalized therefore opening its markets to important clothing. As a result, most of the clothing sold in Australia originates from other countries such as China. As of 2007, the local clothing production industries declined, but the sector still accounted for a big portion of the national economy.

The Australian market is highly segmented into income-related strata and segments defined by gender, age, body size, and aesthetic preferences. The entire Australian market is defined by lifestyle preferences.

Because of Australia's climate, Australians spend less on clothing compared to people from western countries. As an outcome, Australians spend more of their money on housing, transport and communications equipment. This fact has lead retail stores of clothes to sell items mostly suited to the conditions of the country.

Retails establishments are distributed across the nation with concentration on the capital cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. Retailers have increased their investment in brand identity and loyalty by shifting to direct or sub-contracted importing.

A department store is an example of a retail establishment wherein a variety of clothes and accessories are sold from different merchandise lines at different prices. Department stores usually are large establishments that are divided into different departments that sell a specific kind of merchandise or for a specific kind of customer. These establishments are generally part of a retail chain of many stores situated in different in a country or several countries.

The first department store in Australia is David Jones, which was established in 1825 and later on became one of the oldest and most successful retain stores in Australia and in the world. In 1900, Myer was established in Bendigo, Victoria, and now grew to become the largest department store chain in the country.

Certain department stores are further classified into discount stores where products are sold at much lower prices than those asked by other retail outlets. Like department stores, discount stores offer a variety of merchandise arranged in departments for the convenience of the customer.

Most major retail stores in Australia have their own credit card companies with their own benefits to customers. Meanwhile, smaller retail stores such as discount department stores do not have the same service for customers.