orge Street and Double Bay in NSW, and Armadale in Victoria.   But with the recent opening of its first-ever shopping centre at Westfield Miranda in southern Sydney, Rebecca Vallance is gearing up to reach a new type of customer: the suburbanite. “It’s an important part of our strategy to be able to reach our customer wherever they may be, by opening more stores in key locations and providing an immersive in-person experience to showcase the full breadth of our lifestyle offering,” Vallance told Inside Retail.  “Not only do consumers come to a shopping centre to buy, but the brand is also being exposed to a larger catchment of people – some that may not be aware or familiar with Rebecca Vallance and wouldn’t think to stop in at one of our high street stores,” she explained. “For this reason, it’s great to have that presence in a shopping centre for customers to be able to come in and touch and feel the product.” Shift to the suburbs Rebecca Vallance is just the latest retailer to look beyond the CBDs and inner suburbs, as shopping patterns remain disrupted due to the rise of remote working during Covid-19. Just this week, Myer CEO John King noted that the company’s regional and suburban stores outperformed the CBD locations in the first half of FY21.  Retail property expert Sean Byrne believes the launch into a suburban shopping centre is a “huge shift” for a luxury fashion brand, such as Rebecca Vallance, but it makes sense. “The pandemic has decentralised a lot of things. People are retreating to suburbs and staying in closer proximity to their neighbourhoods, and we have all saved a lot!” he told Inside Retail. “People’s tastes are also more discerning these days. So, where once a Millers would have sufficed in a community centre, the expectations have shifted. The Double Bay lifestyle is accessible to more people in terms of luxury goods and experiences.” Byrne, the group director of retail and commercial at architectural and design firm, ThomsonAdsett, which did not work on the Rebecca Vallance project, has seen a big increase in the success of neighbourhood centres during Covid. According to him, they naturally tend to be mixed-use zones and should include a selection of groceries, medical precincts, allied health, affordable and more exclusive brands.  “There is more competition in the CBD but the target market tends to be workers,” Byrne said.  “The suburbs are where people prefer to shop. It is convenient, close to home and buzzing on the weekends. We are all time poor these days, with most activities outside of working time being performed on the weekend. CBDs tend to be rather quiet on the weekend whereby suburbs are bustling with activity and the foot traffic for retailing is greater.” Rebecca Vallance on the rise Designed by Archer Design, the new Rebecca Vallance store features large plate-glass exterior windows, giving passers-by a sneak peek inside, where an abundance of mirrors, white wall interiors and accents of gold and grey create the perfect backdrop for the brand’s vibrant clothing. And it’s just the beginning of the brand’s expansion plans.  “We want to continue connecting with new consumers and launching into new areas both locally and overseas,” Vallance said.  On top of this, Rebecca Vallance has entered two new categories in the last 12 months: athleisure and bridal.  “We are continuing to look at what the customer wants vs what we offer and being able to pivot our strategy and priorities,” she said.