us the chance to deliver exceptional service in person – we love helping customers find the perfect setup for their travel style or solving a last-minute packing crisis,” he continued. Now, July is laser-focused on creating memorable experiences and building real relationships with its customers through bricks-and-mortar. Owning the retail experience  For Donato, the case for opening flagship stores over wholesale distribution is obvious. July is able to tell its brand story across every touchpoint, rather than being one brand among many in a department store. “Opening our own stores allows us to create unique, immersive brand experiences that truly reflect July’s values and aesthetic. In our own spaces, we can innovate freely,” Donato shared.  July’s decision to offer customers an in-store experience, despite its strong e-commerce performance, stemmed from the brand’s belief that luggage is an inherently tactile product best appreciated in person.  As Donato explained, physical stores allow July to create unique, immersive environments that embody its values and aesthetic while fostering memorable interactions and authentic relationships with customers.  “Most importantly, it enables us to build direct, meaningful relationships with our customers,” he said. “We can gather immediate feedback, understand their needs better, and continuously evolve our retail experience and products based on what we learn.” By having dedicated staff who are true brand experts, July ensures its story is shared directly and meaningfully – something that would be diluted in a multi-brand department-store setting. Location really is everything July’s approach to choosing store locations has evolved significantly since its beginnings.  As Donato recounted, “Our retail journey actually started with a tiny corner of our office in Collingwood,” and those humble roots were instrumental in understanding what customers truly wanted from a physical July experience.  Today, the brand is highly strategic, targeting “premium sites in premium shopping districts across the country, focusing on locations with high foot traffic from both locals and visitors.”  They prioritise areas with strong “brand adjacencies” – neighbours with similar values and aesthetics – and seek out spaces with “good energy and interesting retail neighbours.”  This balance of traffic, retail mix, and premium positioning ensures each July store is a destination, integrated naturally into its neighbourhood while reflecting the brand’s quality and values.  Each site is carefully chosen to support July’s reputation for excellence and to create a retail environment that resonates with both locals and visitors. Unpacking the early years July’s first store rollouts revealed that its customers seek more than just products – they crave inspiration and a sense of discovery.  As Donato reflected, these early experiences taught July to incorporate “more experiential elements and create zones for discovery” into store design, with spaces where customers can truly handle, test and compare luggage in a relaxed setting.  This insight led to careful attention to atmosphere; “the overall atmosphere matters as much as the products themselves” was the philosophy, with the lighting, materials and spatial flow designed to invite customers to linger and explore.  July’s team also recognised the importance of flexible, thoughtful product presentation. Displays are curated to tell stories about travel occasions and lifestyles, evolving with seasons and new launches, all while balancing a broad range with an uncluttered visual identity.  Donato emphasises that these lessons are at the heart of every new store opening, ensuring each location offers a clean aesthetic and authentic brand experience. Take a walk in July July’s approach to store design redefines what a luggage retail experience can be, drawing inspiration from the ambience of modern travel spaces rather than conventional luggage shops.  As Donato explained, July’s stores “feel more like modern travel spaces”, with layouts designed to invite exploration rather than simply display rows of products.  Customers are encouraged to “roll suitcases, compare sizes, and really get excited about [their] upcoming trip”, making the shopping experience genuinely interactive and inspiring.  Products are displayed in a cohesive environment where travel pieces sit beautifully alongside everyday bags and accessories, unified by “beautiful materials and thoughtful lighting” that create a special but non-intimidating atmosphere.  The store’s flow guides visitors naturally through different categories, with quiet spots to pause and consider options, ensuring the environment never feels overwhelming or strictly functional.  Ultimately, from Donato’s perspective, July’s design philosophy is about making each visit feel like “the start of an adventure,” inviting customers to imagine journeys yet to come. It’s all in the merchandising July approaches its visual merchandising as an opportunity to tell engaging travel stories, rather than just displaying products.  “Each season brings new narratives. Products are grouped in ways that make sense for how people actually travel, not just by category,” Donato explained. The brand maintains a clean and uncluttered presentation, using “subtle props and beautiful lighting to create atmosphere without overwhelming the products”. This results in displays that inspire customers’ travel dreams while clearly showcasing the full range.  With every new collection, July refreshes parts of the store through special installations or revamped displays that highlight the collection’s unique feel and story.  Despite each collection’s distinct personality, they are always shown in relation to the core product themes, demonstrating how new releases blend seamlessly with classic favourites.  This approach helps customers envision building their perfect travel setup, whether it includes limited-edition collaborations or timeless staples. For the love of travel July sets itself apart through a training program deeply grounded in a “customer-first mentality” and a shared passion for travel among its staff.  “We hire people who genuinely love to travel and train them to share that passion authentically,” Donato explained. The approach is far from transactional; July’s focus is on nurturing staff to have genuine, natural conversations with customers about travel plans, using their own lived experiences to make tailored recommendations.  “The best interactions happen when our staff share their own travel stories and tips organically, creating genuine connections rather than sales transactions,” Donato said. Empowerment is central to July’s philosophy; staff are encouraged “to go above and beyond,” whether that means helping a customer carry a purchase to their car or offering personal insider travel advice.  “They have the freedom to solve problems creatively and make decisions that put the customer first,” Donato noted. Regular training sessions keep teams up to date on new products and travel trends, but the heart of the program is “maintaining that culture of exceptional service where every interaction is an opportunity to create something special.” Further reading: July’s head of technology on why his role is equal parts engineer and artist