AMERICAN chinos and denim haven Gap is finally making its way to Australian shores, with the first store set to open in Melbourne’s Chadstone Mall in late 2010.

Like other stores in the giant shopping centre, the premiere Gap down under will be an 740 square-metre behemoth, also housing the company’s other brands babyGap, GapKids, and GapBody.

“With Australia, we’re extending our international presence to a whole new continent,” said Stefan Laban, vice-president of Strategic Alliances for Gap Inc.

“It’s a great retail market that really appreciates the casual style that Gap represents.”

Although the store is known for its casualwear, collaborations with designers such as Stella McCartney have risen the company’s fashion profile of late and encouraged a more youthful, vibrant consumer.

“There are 20 million people in Australia and 10 million of them live in cities,” Laban added. “It’s a really casual market and the brand awareness for Gap is really high there.”

Sydney will become home to the next Gap store in early 2011, and up to 15 additional stores have been planned in Australian metropolitan areas over the next four years.

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