Ralph Lauren opening five new stores this year

US fashion brand Ralph Lauren is ramping up its presence in Australia with the launch of its first standalone women’s store in Sydney’s CBD last month.

The store, located in the iconic Queen Victoria Building, is part of the transformation over the last five years of the brand’s previously known ‘Blue Label’ into ‘Polo Ralph Lauren for Women’.

“Polo Ralph Lauren for Men is well-established in the Australian market and we see an opportunity for our women’s business to grow as we further expand our offering across different channels,” the brand said.

Four more stores carrying both womenswear and menswear collections are slated to open across the country in September and October. The stores will be located in Indooroopilly and Sunshine Plaza in Queensland, Melbourne Emporium in Victoria and Canberra Centre in the ACT.

“The store openings build on Ralph Lauren’s targeted expansion across Australia and around the world as part of its Next Great Chapter strategy to deliver sustainable, long-term growth and value creation,” the brand said.

The brand said it is committed to the expansion of the Polo Ralph Lauren business in Australia, where it is distributed through owned, standalone stores, as well as through David Jones, Myer and Glue, and online through The Iconic.

The business has a 25-year history in Australia. Initially operating as a licenced brand, Polo Ralph Lauren took back control of the local business in 2013.