new store is designed to offer a true brand experience to customers and is setting a new standard of service. For Kestelman, the true value of retail lies in authentic interactions with customers. This has informed not only the design of the store but the hiring and training of floor staff. Inside Retail: Why did you choose Fitzroy as your third store location for Melbourne? What is it about the Fitzroy demographic that aligns with Hommey? Justin Kestelman: It all started back in South Yarra, over two years ago. There I was, working weekends on the shop floor, probably annoying customers with all my questions (but hey, I had to know!). I wanted to understand everything about them – who they were, why they chose us, and where they called home. That’s when something fascinating caught my attention. We had customers regularly making the trek from across the river – and if you’re from Melbourne, you know that’s no small commitment! This got me curious, so I dove into our Victorian customer database. The numbers were eye-opening: almost 40 per cent of our online customers were “Northsiders” from areas like Fitzroy, Collingwood, Brunswick, Clifton Hills and Carlton. We’d just proven the bigger store concept worked beautifully in Armadale, moving from our cozy 60sqm South Yarra space to a more generous 140sqm format. The success there gave me confidence to take the next step: bringing Hommey closer to our northside community. What really excites me about this move is how perfectly it aligns with our northside customer base. These folks really know their stuff when it comes to interiors – they’re considered, knowledgeable and have a deep appreciation for quality, which mirrors exactly what we stand for at Hommey. So the mission became clear: find the perfect spot and create something special – a space that feels like a home away from home for our northside community. IR: Hommey has an exceptional e-commerce presence. How do bricks-and-mortar stores fit into your hybrid retail strategy? JK: While we’ve done a good job establishing a strong digital presence, our bricks-and-mortar strategy elevates the entire Hommey experience. Our physical spaces provide the perfect platform to tell our brand story in its most authentic form. Nothing compares to welcoming customers into our physical space – our home. Here, they can experience the full sensory journey of Hommey through distinct living zones that help customers envision our products in their own homes. Our knowledgeable and friendly staff complete this experience by offering a curated and personalised experience.  For me, translating the Hommey brand into a physical space serves as a natural extension of our digital success. That’s why we’re taking a quality-over-quantity approach with our retail strategy – creating thoughtfully designed destination stores that complement our e-commerce platform rather than pursuing rapid expansion. Each location is carefully considered and executed, becoming a true destination that ultimately enhances our online presence and creates a seamless retail experience for our customers. IR: Why did you choose to go down the flagship store route as opposed to being stocked by retailers? JK: I’m a brand guy, so controlling the brand experience is what I value most and probably harp on about most to ensure integrity and longevity. Therefore, to rely on other retailers to execute this on your behalf would be doing a disservice to the bigger picture of what we’re trying to achieve.  IR: Are there any lessons that you learned from your store openings in 2021 and 2022? And have they made you approach your store opening in 2025 differently? JK: I could write a book about store opening lessons. Here are a few: Spend time on the shop floor whether you’re an owner, key decision maker or new to the business. It builds empathy for your colleagues who do this day in and day out, but also teaches you how to listen and speak to customers.  Find people who represent your brand and understand the importance of their role. The reality is that I can’t be in multiple locations at the same time, so hiring people who share your values, understand that this isn’t just a job and that they are playing such an important role in representing your brand is a critical success factor.  The Hommey brand and product proposition is evolving so quickly. When we opened South Yarra we were predominantly a cushion business, now cushions are less than 10 per cent of what we sell, so designing stores that are modular, flexible and allow you to grow into your business has been a really good lesson on not being too rigid and open to change. Lastly, we learned the importance of integrating our retail and head office teams. Our Armadale VIP night demonstrated the magic that happens when the entire company works together on the shop floor. We’re now building this collaborative approach into our new store strategy. IR: Could you explain the Fitzroy concept store for someone who hasn’t had the privilege of visiting yet – and how it differs from your other locations? JK: Hommey Fitzroy offers a unique shopping experience, where product and customer journey merge seamlessly in a sensory-rich environment. As customers journey through the store, they become increasingly immersed in the Hommey world, with each area of the store thoughtfully designed to unfold and draw them deeper into the brand experience. Warm timbers, lush carpeting and tactile surfaces create a cosy and inviting atmosphere, while playful forms and soft curves, balanced by gloss finishes add an element of fun, reflecting the Hommey brand spirit at heart. While the space is highly layered and textural, the finishes have been thoughtfully chosen to complement the bold, textile-driven offering of Hommey products. Every corner of the store sparks a sense of discovery, with unique display elements and considered details that encourage customers to play, explore, touch and curate. The store is not just a place to shop, it’s a place where customers can freely interact with the product offering, curate their own style, and shape their ideal homewares and lifestyle aesthetic in an environment that feels comfortably like home. IR: How does Hommey approach training its retail floor staff to best represent the brand and offer an exceptional customer experience? JK: Our training program is built on core pillars that form the foundation of our retail experience. The ‘product’ pillar focuses on technical expertise – from understanding garment construction to mastering color theory and the art of merchandising across categories. This deep product knowledge enables our team to provide expert guidance and styling advice. The ‘people skills’ pillar focuses on delivering exceptional customer experiences. We believe retail’s true value lies in creating warm, approachable, and knowledgeable interactions. We maintain this standard through regular role-playing sessions during quieter periods, dedicated training evenings, and fostering a culture where constructive feedback is welcomed. This environment of continuous improvement helps us maintain a distinctly superior in-store experience that sets us apart from competitors.