Is Country Road Australia’s Next Big Department Store?

Country Road is one of Australia’s most recognisable fashion brands. The 51-year-old household name expanded from apparel and into the accessories and homewares space with ease, and along the way picked up Witchery, Mimco, Trenery and Politix. The conglomerate has well and truly made a name for itself, but is eyeing off more of the market with its new venture. 

Launched earlier this month, Country Road has expanded its online offering, including a handful of other brands in its stables under its “new brands” banner. Now, customers can purchase lighting from Lexon, pans from Scanpan, rugs from Marimekko, Brink and Campman, skincare from Jurlique and watches from Daniel Wellington straight from Country Road’s website. More brands will be added in 2026.

“We can add curated product that we would never develop ourselves to offer the customer a broader assortment,” Steven Cook, Country Road Group’s CEO, told the AFR. 

“We’re partnering with brands that align with our aesthetic and values, offering products that complement our ranges and reflect the quality and design principles Country Road is known for,” said Helen Wright, Country Road’s managing director, in a press release. (Country Road declined to be interviewed for this piece.)

Third-party marketplaces are all the rage; many, like global offenders Shein, Temu and Amazon, or Big W, Bunnings and Kmart locally, allow external businesses to list items for purchase on their sites. However, Country Road is following in the footsteps of department stores like David Jones and Myer, which retain control over what brands and products are stocked. 

Country Road’s product categories are already vast, from beach towels to bedcovers, neckties to plant stands, and espadrilles to nappy bags. The new undertaking might sound surprising given its comprehensive product lines; so far, it seems Country Road is steering clear of stocking products it already manufactures. Notably, Finnish lifestyle brand Marimekko is limited to stocking rugs and not its slate of homewares.

Witchery’s online presence has also shifted accordingly, with Trenery, Mimco and Politix to follow next year. “Our customers look to us as the style authority,” Witchery’s general manager Lucy Nutter said in a press release. “This is about offering our customer a complete capsule wardrobe to suit her always-on lifestyle. Expanding into categories like fragrance, candles and sunglasses allows us to deliver an even more inspiring and on-trend experience online.”

Country Road Group’s financial situation could shed light on this move, with its full-year losses reportedly hitting $164 million. It also reported that online purchases accounted for nearly a third of its sales. The group’s marketplace uses Mirakl, a French AI-powered ecommerce company, which is behind more than 450 marketplaces globally including Bloomingdale’s, Bunnings and JB Hi-Fi.