Jeep jumps in boots'n'all

Jeep has beat the likes of Harley-Davidson, HSV, Vespa and other icon brands into the mainstream retail battle for hearts and minds. The pre-emptive strike comes in the shape of the marque's first Jeep Concept Store Down Under.

Located at Highpoint Shopping Centre in Melbourne's west, the store is the first of four planned in the initial retail assault. On the way are one more for store for Melbourne and at least two start-up shopfronts in Sydney. Queensland and other locations will follow if the first stores are successful.

The company behind the launch is not Chrysler Jeep Australia but rather local licensee for Jeep apparel and footwear, Revolution Brands. Headed by rag trade stalwart, Ken Hanvey, Revolution Brands has drawn on the experience of similar licensees around the world to create the new Jeep Concept Stores.

"Jeep is a global brand," Hanvey told, CarPoint. "Jeep apparel has been successfully launched in markets like South Africa, France and through South East Asia. We're confident that the brand will do very well in Australia."

According to Hanvey, outdoor adventure clothing is one of the fastest growing categories in the retail market. Internationally, the appeal and demand for Jeep branded products from the outdoor lifestyle market has been strong -- in 2004, worldwide retail sales of Jeep lifestyle products topped $US500m and grew by 50 per cent! Jeep apparel is sold in 25 concept stores across South Africa where the business has grown to $A30m worth of wholesale sales in just a few years.

Locally, the Jeep branded merchandise will marketed via Revolution's Jeep Concept Stores as well as in-store 'shops within shops' in outdoor retail chains such as Ray's Outdoors and Anaconda.

Aussie Jeep dealers haven't been forgotten with around 20 dealerships nationally onboard to sell an abbreviated range of garments via themed sections of their dealerships.

Michael Ross, general manager marketing and product strategy for Chrysler Jeep Australia, sees the growth of the Jeep brand into adventure-orientated clothing and footwear as a natural extension of the all-wheel-drive brand.

‘We are the international automotive brand leader when it comes to adventure on four wheels,” said Ross. 

 “Now we are taking up the international lead of expanding into one of the fastest growing retail segments – adventure active wear. It suits our go anywhere, do anything brand and it suits the Australian love of the outdoors,” said Ross.

The first Jeep Concept store is located Shop 3155, Highpoint Shopping Centre, Maribynong (Vic).