Hundreds of people, braving freezing temperatures also welcomed the arrival of Harris Scarfe and were rewarded with opening specials along with an extensive apparel and homewares product range not currently available in this large regional town.

I found it rewarding to reflect on the transformation of the rundown heritage building that we where able to work with Harris Scarfe to reinstate as a landmark building with purpose. Together we worked closely with The Ballarat City Council’s Heritage Department carefully selecting an appropriate colour palette, external signage placement and new store entry.

Internally, warm and inviting colour tones provide a subtle backdrop for womenswear, menswear, kids-wear and homewares merchandising. Strong sight-lines along with a clear aisle configuration allow customers to navigate their way around the store to find the exact product they are searching for.

Customer service was intuitive as I found the the staff have a passion and pride envied by other retailers.

There is no wonder the queues to the registers were packed with customers that had found more than they had been looking for.

As they left the store I watched them carrying their large Harris Scarfe shopping bags and their faces displaying a warm glow of satisfaction.

To retailers nothing is more exciting than being at a new store opening – and today was no exception.