de Retail. “Our Melbourne Central store gives us the perfect platform to launch new product drops, immersive pop-ups and exclusive collaborations that energise our local community,” said Sehgal. Setting up shop After selling over 100 million pairs of shoes globally, Crocs is finally opening its first concept store in Australia. The brand’s only other stand-alone store in the country is an outlet in the Gold Coast.  “We have had great success in Australia over the last several years, including local collaborations taking off and an increase in brand love from younger audiences. We saw solid momentum in 2024,” Sehgal shared.  Last year, the global net revenue of Crocs Inc, the parent company of Crocs and Heydude, amounted to approximately US$4.1 billion, up from around US$3.96 billion recorded the year before.  But the real contrast is from a decade earlier, when the company’s global net revenue amounted to about US$1.2 billion in 2014.  In 2005, a customer by the name Sheri Schmelzer started customising her children’s Crocs with little decorative charms that were placed in the holes of the shoe – the result was Jibbitz. The following year, Crocs acquired Jibbitz for US$10 million. Today, Jibbitz are an essential part of Crocs’ revenue and the centre of Crocs’ new Melbourne store. “We designed it as a space to explore – with bold visuals and a hands-on Jibbitz customisation zone that lets people connect with the brand in their own way,” Sehgal said. Creating universal appeal Crocs transformed itself from a casual footwear brand to an unexpected fashion hero through niche collaborations and celebrity endorsements.  The brand leveraged clout from the likes of Justin Bieber and McDonald’s to become an icon in its own right. “Crocs has ultimately stood the test of time as a brand because they’ve stuck to their guns and been unapologetically themselves,” brand strategist Lauren Kelly told Inside Retail. “They haven’t desperately chased trends, rather they kept focussing on the core of what they offer; comfortable, sustainable shoes that fly in the face of convention and that allow wearers to embrace fun and self expression,” she added. Crocs’ global concept store has been meticulously designed to be welcoming and versatile much like its shoe – appealing to families, kids and professionals. “It’s fun, expressive and unexpected – just like Crocs. Every element celebrates individuality and self-expression,” Sehgal explained. “A physical store brings the full Crocs experience to life. It’s where customers can touch, try, customise, and immerse themselves in the brand,” he continued. “It gives us the chance to showcase our full range and create meaningful, in-person moments that reflect our ‘come as you are’ spirit.” The Crocs’ Melbourne concept store is likely to become the launch pad for future releases and limited-edition collaborations. “We haven’t shared next steps for retail expansion in Australia but plan to continue serving our consumers where they want to be shopping,” concluded Sehgal. “We don’t like to give too much away, but you can expect us to continue to excite fans and elevate the brand with new consumers.”