Effective partnerships between property landlords and their retail tenants are crucial for fostering vibrant, successful commercial spaces. In this exclusive Q&A feature, SCN invited six retail partners to share their personal experiences and career highlights and provide insights into their business – the current challenges, opportunities, trends, growth strategy and more! Here we feature Jonathon Lazarou, Property Director at Strand.

Founded in 1927 at Sydney’s Strand Arcade, Strand is a leading retailer with more than 260 stores across Australia and New Zealand, known for its extensive range of bags and travel accessories. A household name, Strand has built a strong reputation for offering stylish handbags and quality luggage, curated by its expert product team. Currently undergoing a rebranding from Strandbags to Strand, the company is focused on enhancing the customer experience and continuing its legacy of innovation and growth in the retail space.

What is your current role and main responsibilities?

As Property Director at Strand, I oversee leasing, legal, and store development across our retail network across Australia, NZ, and fingers crossed for our first location in the UK next year, as well as managing our head office and national distribution centre. My focus is on optimising our property portfolio to support the company’s growth.

Tell us about your career journey and how you got started in retail property?

I began my career in retail property during the final year of my Property Economics degree, where I completed an internship at Lendlease. This led to a place in their graduate program, which provided a comprehensive rotation through all aspects of retail property, development and investment management – an ideal foundation for my first role as a leasing executive in 2007. Over the next six years, I worked across the Lendlease portfolio, gaining valuable experience as part of a highly regarded national leasing team.

In 2013, I joined QIC as a project leasing executive, where I spent the next decade, eventually managing QIC’s flagship asset, Castle Towers, as Project Leasing Manager. In early 2023, I made the difficult decision to leave a great company with a strong culture and leadership to take a role at Strand. I haven’t looked back!

What do you think are the key elements of a successful retail business?

Strategy, people and culture.

Without strong leadership and capable, motivated team members, even the best strategies can fall flat. Leadership drives the vision, creates a culture of accountability and innovation, and ensures that each department is aligned with the broader business goals.

These are the core elements that define Strand, guided and driven by our Group CEO, Felicity McGahan.

Strand, Highpoint Shopping Centre, VIC

What do you love about Strand/ what excites you about your brand?

Being part of the leadership team driving the greatest transformation in Strand’s 97-year history.

Strandbags has evolved into Strand, and we’re not just changing our name — we’re redefining the entire customer experience. Our 260-store network is expanding, with average store sizes increasing from 125m2 to 220m2, showcasing a world-class conceptual design that elevates the shopping journey. This, combined with our curated and innovative product range, crafted by our exceptional product team, truly sets us apart.

When I joined in early 2023, this transformation was just starting, with only one flagship Strand store at Highpoint. By the end of this year, we’ll have opened more than 40 Strand-branded stores across Australia and New Zealand. This evolution of the brand is what excites me!

What are some of the challenges facing the industry?

The rising capital pressures faced by both landlords and retailers, combined with increasing construction costs, create a challenging environment for newness. For a brand undergoing transformation, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to secure the opportunities in the right locations at commercially viable terms.

Tell us about your company’s development pipeline and growth strategy?

Our focus is on the right sizing and rebranding of our store network from Strandbags to Strand, a significant undertaking that reflects our vision for the future. Across Australia and New Zealand, we’re maintaining an impressive pace, opening a new store roughly every two weeks. At this rate, we expect to convert most of our fleet within the next five years, marking a monumental shift in our retail presence.

Central to our growth strategy is the planned development of a state-of-the-art distribution centre and automation system, representing the largest investment in the company’s history. This infrastructure will be the engine that powers our ambitious growth, laying a strong foundation for operational efficiency and scalability.

On the international front, our strategy includes the launch of our first group of Strand stores in the UK by the end of 2025. In addition, Antler (owned by the group) is expanding its wholesale in Australia, New Zealand, UK and the US. To complement this, Antler have opened their first residency in New York this year, with Sydney’s debut set for November and London on the horizon for early 2025.

These initiatives are a testament to Strand’s commitment to growth, innovation and global expansion, ensuring we continue to thrive in an ever-evolving retail landscape.

What do you think makes a successful retailer/shopping centre?

A successful retail and landlord partnership is built on strong strategic alignment at the leadership level, supported by regular reviews to ensure ongoing collaboration. It’s essential to have dedicated relationship managers who act as internal brand advocates, addressing day-to-day challenges while keeping the broader business goals in focus. This approach helps maintain a balanced perspective and fosters long-term success for both parties.

Which in your opinion is the best example of a successful shopping centre, retail precinct or place?

In the retail world, few would dispute that Chadstone stands as one of the best examples of a successful shopping centre and better compared on the international stage. From a retail planning perspective, it excels with two core retail levels featuring thoughtfully curated precincts. This is complemented by ample free parking, strong experiential leisure precincts and a genuine execution of mixed-use development, integrating commercial spaces and hotels seamlessly.

What advice would you give to someone starting in the industry?

My advice is to focus on finding the right leader to guide your development. While working for a great company is important, having a strong mentor who invests in your growth is even more critical. A great leader will help you develop key skills, provide valuable feedback and challenge you to step outside your comfort zone.

Additionally, focus on building a strong foundation of industry knowledge – learn about the business from all angles, from operations and product development to customer experience and strategy. Don’t shy away from asking questions and seeking mentorship. Networking is also crucial. Build relationships not just within your team but across the broader industry.

This profile featuring Jonathon Lazarou forms part of a special feature published in the latest issue of SCN magazine.