Emporium Mall Melbourne - successful design and branding concepts.

While online shopping may be cheap and convenient, it often lacks the depth, personalisation, and immersive experience that a well-executed retail brand strategy and thoughtfully designed shopping mall can offer. Emporium Melbourne, along with its curated tenants, strives to demonstrate the unmatched appeal of a shopping destination that focuses on both luxury and mid-market, experience-driven retail.

As part of our ongoing commitment to benchmark the world’s leading mall operations, we recently visited Emporium Melbourne in the heart of the city’s business district. The images featured in this article are from our benchmark visit and sourced from the internet.

Here, we present design concepts and mall format innovations to inspire mall operators and management teams to rethink and revitalise their retail spaces.

Traditionally, shopping malls have been anchored by major tenants at either end. Emporium Melbourne breaks away from this conventional layout through intelligent retail planning and innovative interior design.

Modern mall design now integrates features that enhance convenience, offering an alternative to the ease of online shopping while positioning the mall as a vibrant city centre or community hub. Our approach to retail mall planning, design, and branding focuses on maximising gross leasable area (GLA) to animate as many retail brands and experiences as possible, creating a retail wonderland that captivates visitors.

Emporium Melbourne is a high-end, vertically integrated shopping environment, connecting seamlessly with iconic department stores such as Myer and David Jones, as well as GPO Melbourne, The Strand Arcade, and Melbourne Central. The design reflects the character of Melbourne’s famous laneways, which weave through the city’s central business district, while also accommodating the larger footprints required by international brands like Uniqlo, Topshop, and Zara.

Developed by GIC & CFS Retail Trust Property Group, Emporium Melbourne represents a $1.2 billion investment and took nearly seven years to complete. The Buchan Group led the design of this 48,000-square-meter GLA retail space, which features a wide array of stores and eateries.

The Emporium Melbourne's Café Food Court offers a refreshing alternative to typical mall food courts, with 30 ‘fast and healthy’ dining options catering to health-conscious shoppers. Whether seeking a nutritious meal or indulging in a moment of indulgence, visitors will find the Café Court perfectly attuned to their needs, offering a diverse selection of high-quality, healthy food options.

In a distinct departure from typical American fast-food chains, the Café Food Court offers choices such as "I Love Pho," St Kilda’s "Chinta Ria," George Calombaris’ souvlaki bar "Jimmy Grant’s," and Sydney’s gourmet burger chain "Charlie & Co." With 1,100 seats available, the court is designed to attract a more discerning clientele looking for unique culinary experiences.

"I believe people love their food and are always looking for new and interesting products and environments to explore," says Campbell Rigg.

Interested in discussing your shopping mall design, refurbishment program, branding, or digital and social media strategies? Contact us today to learn how we can help.