Social enterprise and fashion brand HoMie tests Sydney market with first-ever pop-up as expansion plans take shape.
Melbourne-based social enterprise HoMie is heading north, with the retailer set to launch its first-ever Sydney pop-up later this month as it explores opportunities to expand its impact beyond Victoria.
The three-day activation will run from June 27-29 in Surry Hills, giving Sydney shoppers their first chance to experience the brand in person while helping HoMie gauge demand in Australia’s largest city.
For CEO Steph Say, the move is about more than retail expansion.
“We’re really interested in exploring Sydney and understanding the community there,” Say told Power Retail.
“We want to move at the speed of trust in a new city and make sure we’re doing it slowly and in a considered way, really understanding the community need that exists in Sydney.”
Founded in Melbourne more than a decade ago, HoMie operates as a streetwear retailer and social enterprise, using profits to support young people affected by homelessness through employment pathways, education programs and its “VIP Days” in which HoMie closes the shop to the public and invites young people affected by homelessness or hardship to come in and shop for free and receive beauty services and personal care packs.
The Sydney stint will include a VIP Day on June 29, with HoMie partnering with local youth homelessness services to provide a shopping and support experience for young people experiencing hardship.
While the pop-up represents HoMie’s first formal retail presence in Sydney, the brand is already seeing strong engagement from the city through its online channels.
According to Say, customer demand has helped drive the decision to test the market.
“We know based on our online store data that there’s a lot of interest from the Sydney community in the work we’re doing,” she said.
While Sydney is the immediate focus, Say hinted the retailer’s ambitions could eventually stretch further.
The brand already enjoys support from customers across Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide, though Sydney remains the most logical next step given its scale and existing customer base.
“We’ll focus on Sydney for now, but watch this space,” she said.
The Sydney pop-up will be hosted at an art gallery space on Elizabeth Street in Surry Hills, in partnership with creative agency Today the Brave.
The expansion comes as HoMie continues to build its profile through major brand partnerships, with another collaboration with the AFL set to launch in August and additional sports partnerships currently in development.
“All of the activity at HoMie at the moment is about expanding our impact and doing more of what we do well,” Say said.
“Whether that’s brand partnerships that spread the word about what we’re doing or opportunities to support more young people in other cities, that’s the kind of work we’re focused on.”
HoMie will be open to the public at Gallery Brave in Surry Hills from Saturday 27 June – Sunday 28 June, 10am-5pm.