Sheike
Sheike (stylised as SHEIKE) is an Australian women’s fashion label and retailer.[1]. The business has its headquarters in Sydney and operates over 50 stores around Australia[2], as well as an E-commerce website. Founded by George Lazaridis in 1979[3], Sheike has remained a family-owned business and evolved into a trusted player in the Australian retail landscape.
Sheike aims to be a brand that “empowers through bold, feminine designs that promise to leave a lasting impression”. They have a strong social media presence, with over 557,000 Instagram followers[4] as of August 2023, and their dress lines are frequently worn by Australian celebrities[5].
History
Sheike was officially launched in 1979 by founder George Lazaridis, when the business opened its first store in Sydney’s Centrepoint Tower. Lazaridis had, however, been running a market stall selling clothing nearby in Pitt Street since 1975[6].
In 2006 the label launched an E-commerce site using the domain sheike.com.au[7], and the business continued to grow as Sheike gradually expanded its presence in Sydney and then New South Wales[8]. By 2009 Sheike operated 15 retail stores around the state with close to 100 employees, with most of them in Sydney as the label was targeted towards urban women aged 18-35[9].
Sheike continued to expand, opening stores interstate and growing the digital arm of the business[10]. During the lockdown period of the COVID-19 pandemic many of Sheike’s regular customers began to shift towards online shopping, a trend which has continued even after the end of restrictions[11].
Due to this shift in consumer behaviour Sheike began to invest more heavily in their website and online marketing, with a significant increase in paid performance spending and increased activity in awareness and affiliate marketing channels[12]. This investment paid dividends, with the company’s customer base growing by more than 20% in the 12 months to September 2022[13]. According to Sheike’s head of ecommerce and marketing, this growth was due to Sheike identifying “core audiences we want to reach and [focusing] on product innovation, channel mix and the right communication strategy to gain those new customers.”[14].
By 2022 Sheike was operating more than 40 stores and maintaining a dedicated online presence[15]. The business has an established retail presence in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia, and opened their first store in South Australia in March 2023 with a flagship store in the City Cross Arcade on Rundle Mall in Adelaide[16].
Media
Sheike is regularly featured in the media, with Australian celebrities and reality television contestants[17] frequently appearing wearing items from their line.
The Project host Carrie Bickmore, who is known for wearing clothes by Australian designers[18], often wears Sheike products when presenting[19].
On Monday 29th August SHEIKE hosted a three-course lunch with Francesca Hung at Catalina Restaurant to celebrate their SS22 collection launch[20]. The guest list featured multiple prominent figures in Australian fashion, including Francesca Hung, Holly Kingston, Madeline Holtznagel, Simone Holtznagel, Isabelle Impala, Madison Woolley, Laura Dundovic, Natalie Roser, Hanan Ibrahim and Shannon Lawson who sat down to a long lunch at the Rose Bay venue[21]. Guests entered the waterside venue with bright florals at the entrance offering a nod to the warmer months ahead. Everyone was greeted with a Catalina Dreams cocktail on arrival and mingled over canapes and freshly shucked oysters, while taking in the beautiful view and tunes by DJ, Demi Bryant[22]
References
- ↑ "About Sheike".
- ↑ "Sheike store locator".
- ↑ "About SHEIKE".
- ↑ "Sheike Instagram".
- ↑ Sunday Telegraph, Sept 4 2022, page 107.
- ↑ "Ragtrader: Sheiken not stirred".
- ↑ "SHEIKE home page".
- ↑ "The Rise of Sheike".
- ↑ "Ragtrader: Sheiken not stirred".
- ↑ "The Rise of Sheike".
- ↑ "Sheike Revamps Digital Strategy".
- ↑ "Sheike Revamps Digital Strategy".
- ↑ "Sheike Revamps Digital Strategy".
- ↑ "Sheike Revamps Digital Strategy".
- ↑ "The Rise of Sheike".
- ↑ "The Rise of Sheike".
- ↑ "Where To Buy All The Dresses From 'The Bachelor' Australia 2019".
- ↑ "Carrie Bickmore's $165 dress causes a stir online".
- ↑ "Carrie Bickmore's $190 Sheike dress 'perfect' for summer weddings".
- ↑ Sunday Telegraph, Sept 4 2022, page 107.
- ↑ Sunday Telegraph, Sept 4 2022, page 107.
- ↑ Sunday Telegraph, Sept 4 2022, page 107.
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