Sydney to be home for Lindt’s first “premium chocolate” store

Swiss chocolatier Lindt is ramping up its Australia retail expansion with the opening of its latest chocolate boutique in Sydney. Located in Sydney’s Macquarie shopping mall, the new boutique-style shop is filled with Lindt’s complete luxury chocolate range. However, with five stores already operating in the city, the new location is the first of its kind to offer a more “premium chocolate shopping experience”.

The premium aspect includes an exclusive range featuring a new Gourmet Selection, which comes in seven flavours of premium roasted nuts and fruit coated in Lindt Chocolate.

Likewise, the new shop offers a selection of specialty-crafted chocolate slabs with gourmet ingredients and a wide variety of Lindt’s signature pralines.

Inside, Australian shoppers are encouraged to browse from the gift boxes on offer, which vary across three different sizes, before filling each with an assortment of Lindor balls and other Lindt chocolates, creating a quasi ‘Pick and Mix’ concoction, so each purchase can be custom made.

There is also a Lindt Chocolate Bar, which offers a range of takeaway hot and cold drinks made with pure Lindt chocolate.

“It is a great addition to our NSW Lindt Chocolate Shop locations and we know the shoppers at Macquarie Centre will enjoy indulging in the exclusive gourmet ranges on offer,” CEO Lindt Australia Stephen Loane told local media.

The boutique store is surrounded by close to 400 international and national retailers to be shopped at Sydney’s Macquarie Centre, located in Sydney’s northern suburb of North Ryde.

Lindt’s expansion comes at a time when rival chocolate retailer and café Max Brenner and its Australian arm has filed for bankruptcy.

Max Brenner Australia, which was started in 1999 and is owned by Tom and Lilly Haikin, appointed voluntary administrators in early October citing rising costs and sluggish retail trade.

On October 8, administrators McGrathNicol closed 20 of Max Brenner’s 37 stores.