rooms”, which enable customers to test the thermal level of the brand’s parkas, jackets and other products that can sell for thousands of dollars. Celebrities such as Drake, Rihanna and Daniel Craig have been known to wear – and be seen wearing – the coats. The expansion in Australia is part of a long-term strategy for Canada Goose, which will operate under a brand management agreement with Brand Collective. Integrated omnichannel offering Brand Collective CEO Eric Morris told Inside Retail that he was amazed to see just how popular Canada Goose products were across Europe and America. Although he was aware of the brand, a recent overseas trip affirmed the ubiquity of Canada Goose products and how the brand had taken off. Representing about fashion 25 brands – including Clarks, Volley and Shoes & Sox – Brand Collective has dipped a toe into the premium retail market through Replay, an Italian denim brand it brought on board last year. However, Morris said that Canada Goose is its first foray into luxury retail. “We have a very diversified portfolio which is aimed at different demographics and sectors of the market. Canada Goose fits in very well and we’re excited to be working with them,” Morris said. Although he was unable to discuss specific revenue or profit forecasts, he noted that Canada Goose has maintained its growth aspirations over many years, with the brand intending to open “fabulous and integrated omnichannel offerings in Australia across its retail and online stores.” And while its manufacturing is set to remain in Canada, Morris revealed that the Canada Goose is planning to expand its product categories moving forward. “They’ve become so well known for their outerwear products, but they are launching a more comprehensive range of footwear and a variety of other products,” Morris said. “[These products] will be coming through over the next period of time,” he said. Queuing for luxury The expansion down under follows mixed results for the publicly listed company, which has a market cap size of C$2.6 billion(about A$2.93 billion), and total revenue of C$1 billion (about A$1.13 billion). Annual US sales dropped by 4.5 per cent year-on-year for the fourth fiscal quarter ending 2 April 2023 – from C$70.7 million to C$67.5 million – with the brand’s net loss rising to about $10 million, attributed to costs related to store expansion, interest rate hikes and personnel. However, total revenue grew by 31.4 per cent in Q4 compared to the previous corresponding period, attributed to strong performance across the Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Driving these strong revenue figures was a rebound in the luxury market in China, with customers shopping in force amid the easing of Covid-19 restrictions. Canada Goose’s revenue rose by 65.4 per cent in the Asia-Pacific region compared to last year, with the brand planning to more than double its stores – which currently stand at 51 – by 2028. The brand is expecting further revenue growth across 2024 – provided the macroeconomic environment doesn’t materially worsen – with plans to continue growing its direct-to-consumer network, and target a younger audience. New stores in the pipeline Regarding the location of the two Canada Goose stores, Morris confirmed that one would be in Melbourne’s Chadstone Shopping Centre, and the other would likely be located in Sydney’s CBD. However, plans were still being finalised. Beyond Canada Goose, Morris said that Brand Collective is set to open a number of new Reebok stores over the coming year. He added that more Superdry stores are set to follow the brand’s recent opening in Chadstone, and that the Black Pepper brand is currently expanding. Across the board, Morris believes there’s “lots of growth potential in opening new retail stores.” “On the new business side, [anyone] who’s wanting to come into the market is generally contacting us about a new brand or licence. And anyone who wants to sell their business, we’re one of the first [organisations] that they talk to,” he said. “There’s lots of opportunities, and those which are appropriate we’ll be looking to proceed with. Nothing I can talk about at the moment, but a lot of people are talking with us.”