Everybody wants to be cool, and Australian retailer Strandbags is no exception. Determined to shake off its reputation as a discount brand, the company is having a makeover to capture the discerning Millennial and Generation Z demographic.

“We really wanted to move from a discount retailer to a great value fashion and lifestyle brand,” said Strand chief executive Felicity McGahan.

Now operating under the name “Strand”, the travel and fashion retailer is tailoring products to a more diverse age range, including an emerging market of younger consumers.

“We needed to modernise to stay relevant, and we needed to evolve the business, or we were going to be at risk of ageing with our customers and losing relevance for the next generation,” said McGahan.

Strandbags has been a staple in shopping centres since 1927, with more than 250 stores throughout Australia and New Zealand. It sells a combination of its own lifestyle and travel brands along with global brands such as Calvin Klein, Samsonite and Guess.

As part of its revamp, Strand has shed 28 per cent of its products to create a more curated collection and launched more of its own brands.

While longtime shoppers of Strand will still be able to find many of the brands they know and love, the retailer now has a greater focus on attracting a more diverse market – from “eight to 80” – with a youth-oriented brand in the pipeline that will be launched in May 2023.

Strand’s move comes after the success of its two private labels, which were unveiled this year, Evity (leather goods) and Nere (travel and luggage). Both exceeded revenue targets, with Evity producing sales of more than $100 million in its first year.