ble and brass finishes.  “It’s a really vibrant space, and we’re so excited to open,” Sandra Kennedy, Sheike’s general manager, told Inside Retail.  While physical retail sales have taken a hit in recent years due to Covid lockdowns, Kennedy remains committed to the bricks-and-mortar format as a means of connecting with customers and communicating the brand’s core point of difference.  “We’re all about style. We want to be that go-to style authority,” she said. “We talk about style when it comes to our products and our trends and how we style them, and we really celebrate that style piece with our community and our customers.”  The brand opened five new retail stores in 2021 and plans to expand “heavily” in South Australia, Western Australia and Victoria in the years ahead, according to Kennedy. “In the next few years, we will look to expand our interstate presence, with a strong focus on South Australia. I think we need to back that up with conviction,” she said. From t-shirts to eveningwear Founded by Greek immigrant George Lazaridis in 1979, Sheike started as a t-shirt stall at the Sydney markets. Today, it offers a wide range of women’s apparel, from everyday basics, to fashionable workwear, to trend-driven eventwear.  The brand launched online in 2006, and e-commerce is now a major contributor to the business, Kennedy said.  “Online is a major contributor to our business and one that we will continue to champion and invest in strongly – just like our bricks-and-mortar strategy. They really work hand in hand for us,” she said. The brand currently offers click-and-collect in 20 of its 47 stores, but is looking to expand that across the entire portfolio. It’s also looking to launch a store-to-door service.  While these features were always on Sheike’s roadmap, Kennedy said that Covid accelerated demand for them.  “They’re services that we always wanted to offer to our customer. We see those two environments very much merging,” she said. “To have a true omni experience, it’s about utilising the service across both channels and bringing it to life in both.” For instance, the new store design concept includes more counter space behind the store to facilitate picking and packing online orders, while the website now offers styling sessions via live chat.  “All of these digital initiatives really enhance her experience and allow her to shop with ease, and just as we’re bringing some of those online elements into our store portfolio, we’re also [bringing store elements] into our online space as well,” Kennedy said. Sheike is also in the process of redesigning its website to include more personalisation, dynamic merchandising and better cart functionality. The new site is expected to launch in the middle of this year.