Company Interview / From clicks to bricks: Luxury Escapes opens first Sydney store

Key points:

New flagship retail openings in Melbourne and Sydney support Luxury Escapes’ omnichannel strategyLuxe Plus paid membership reaches nearly 80,000 members, offering high-value discountsFocus on curated, high-demand destinations like Bali, Thailand, Fiji, Vietnam, and MaldivesCompany growth and resilience attributed to private ownership and strong customer relationships

Luxury Escapes, a rapidly expanding travel company with over seven million members since 2013, continues to innovate in the competitive travel market. Adam Schwab at Luxury Escapes outlines a threefold strategy underpinning the company’s move into retail, with new flagship stores in Melbourne’s Chadstone Shopping Centre and Sydney’s Bondi Junction. Schwab positions physical locations as powerful marketing tools, supporting high-value, trust-based purchases and delivering an average in-store basket size of nearly $10,000—substantially higher than online or phone transactions.

Schwab highlights the launch of the Luxe Plus paid membership, a $249 annual program providing exclusive travel discounts. This product has rapidly garnered almost 80,000 members, aiming for 100,000 soon. He describes how the company opts for a curated approach, focusing on top destinations like Bali, Thailand, Fiji, Vietnam, and the Maldives, instead of listing millions of options. Schwab compares Luxury Escapes’ model favourably against giants such as Booking.com, Expedia, and $FLT (Flight Centre), noting its streamlined value proposition and strong position in mid-haul markets, particularly outbound trips from Australia.

Reflecting on challenges during Covid, Schwab credits the company’s private ownership and loyal customer base with enabling growth and stability. Looking ahead, Schwab stresses a long-term commitment to reinvestment, exceptional customer service, and sustained shareholder value.