Iconic Australian shopping centre brand Westfield to expand across Europe
What started in the backstreets of Blacktown is now coming to Paris and Prague after winning over London and New York. But there’s a drawback to this Aussie success.
When the residents of Paris and Prague, Stockholm and Warsaw head out for some retail therapy this weekend they’ll notice a new, unfamiliar and very Australian name taking pride of place on their local shopping centre.
Westfield, a brand born in Sydney’s western suburbs, is taking over Europe.
Already a big deal in New Zealand, the US and UK, it’s now on the march to France, Sweden, the Czech Republic and Poland, as it becomes one of Australia’s most successful retail brands.
But there’s a catch — to reach this level of dominance Westfield has changed hands and is no longer Australian at all. And branding experts have told news.com.au the success of the name Westfield has very little to do with the country from which it sprung in the late 1950s.
Earlier this month, musician John Legend took to the piano in the newly rebranded Westfield Forum des Halles shopping centre in the heart of Paris, an easy walk to the Louvre even if you were laden down with shopping bags.
At the same time the famous red and white, somewhat medieval-looking logo was hoisted above Westfield Euralille in Lille, Westfield Arkadia in Warsaw and Prague’s Westfield Chodov. At the moment, the centres are combining their previous names with Westfield. Don’t be surprised, though, if Westfield Mall of Scandinavia becomes simply Westfield Stockholm in a few years.
Next year 100 or so more malls in Belgium, Austria, the Netherlands, Italy and beyond will also get their first taste of Westfield.
“The launch of the world-famous Westfield brand in Continental Europe comes at a time when consumers are expecting more from their shopping trip,” said Christophe Cuvillier, chief executive officer of Westfield’s owner.
“Westfield represents the gold standard of destinations globally with a combination of first class retail, dining and leisure with exceptional events and services.”
ALL BEGAN IN BLACKTOWN
Absent from mention is the man who created Westfield, and a big nest egg along the way, Australia’s own Frank Lowy.
He opened Westfield Plaza in 1959 in the Sydney suburb of Blacktown. It was “west” because of its location in Sydney, and “field” due to the farmland it was built on.
Westfields then multiplied across Australia, first as suburban shopping malls, later as regional hubs and more recently as super-sized centres.
The brand expanded into the US in 1977 and the UK through the enormous Westfield London centre in 2000.
London’s 2012 Olympics were partly bankrolled by a large Westfield shopping centre next door that most spectators had to walk through to get to the stadium.
In 2016, the firm’s $2.3 billion Westfield World Trade Centre mall opened in New York. It’s topped by the stunning Santiago Calatrava designed “Oculus” structure that looks like an eyelash blinking towards ground zero.
“Westfield is fast becoming the byword for shopping centres, like Band-Aid is for plasters. They want people to think of the brand when they refer to the category, to say ‘I’m going out to Westfield'” said Queensland University of Technology professor of marketing Gary Mortimer.
He said Westfields were known as flagship centres with big stores, posh boutiques, gyms and cinemas. They were also innovative, for instance taking mall dining from dark and cheap food courts to alfresco eateries.
Jenni Romaniuk, a research professor at Uni SA’s Ehrenberg-Bass Institute and author of Building Distinctive Brand Assets, said bringing Westfield to major centres across Europe was a smart move.
“Even the people who like online shopping also like going to a shopping centre because it’s a social event. So having a strong international brand in that space creates economies of scale,” Prof Romaniuk said.
Read the full article in The Herald.
