Zara heading to Perth, with Topshop likely to follow

Zara has lodged plans to open a $5 million store in Perth’s Murray Street Mall.

The Spanish clothing retailer will be the first major international clothing retailer to enter the Perth market.

Council documents show Zara plans to build a new two-storey building and with a one-storey addition to an existing retail building at 223-225 Murray Street Mall.

Zara opened its first Australian store in Pitt Street Mall in Sydney in 2011 followed by a Melbourne store in Bourke Street Mall. It has more than 1700 stores across 85 markets.

It is likely to be followed by Topshop, which is reportedly in negotiations with Hawaiian, the owner of Carillon City, for a shop in a redevelopment.

International retailers are looking to open around 300 shops in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Brisbane over the next few years, according to figures compiled by Colliers International in a new white paper.

Zara and Topshop will both be taking tenancy in GPT’s Highpoint Shopping Centre in Maribynong, in Melbourne’s northwest.

And the Industry Superannuation Property Trust has plans for a $70 million retail and office redevelopment on Queen Street Mall to create flagship retail space to lure Zara, Topshop and Forever21 to Brisbane.