The move follows the opening of its first Australian store at Westfield Eastgardens in September 2025 and a pop-up at Westfield Chatswood in June 2026.
Launch Story can reveal that HLA has further expansion plans for Parramatta, Blacktown and Wollongong — a clear signal that the company views Australia as more than a one-off market experiment.
A prospectus submitted to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in November 2025 by HLA Group Corp., Ltd. shows that the company plans to expand its overseas directly operated store network from around 111 stores in mid-2025 towards 200 within three years, with Australia, Europe and further Southeast Asian markets among its priorities.
At its Eastgardens store, HLA has adopted younger fits and styles than its traditional range. Its Australian store and official website also carry products developed specifically for the Australian market, including Adidas and ANB Brand “CFHRA.” co-branded collections, spanning sweatshirts, knitwear, jackets, polo shirts, shirts and shorts. The range reflects HLA’s broader approach to localising its products for the Australian market.
In June, HLA’s pop-up at Westfield Chatswood attracted both new and returning customers, including many local shoppers previously unfamiliar with the brand.
Launch Story has confirmed that a permanent Chatswood store is already under renovation, suggesting growing confidence in early performance and local demand.
Founded in 2002 in Jiangsu Province, HLA grew from humble beginnings after founder Zhou Jianping took over a small woollen textile factory in 1988. The company went on to establish itself as China’s “men’s wardrobe”, specialising in accessible, mid-range menswear with convenience at the centre of its positioning. Its well-known Chinese slogan, roughly translated as “Visit HLA twice a year,” reinforced the idea of a one-stop destination for men’s clothing.
In 2017, HLA opened its first overseas store in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and has since built a network of directly operated stores across Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and other markets. By the end of its 2025 financial year, its overseas revenue reached RMB 4.53 billion (approximately A$967 million), up 27.7 per cent year-on-year, while overseas gross margins were around 68 per cent — well above the roughly 43–45 per cent recorded in its domestic Chinese business. In the first half of 2025 alone, overseas sales grew 27.4 per cent.
A key feature of HLA’s overseas strategy is maintaining direct control of the brand experience while adapting products to local tastes, partnerships and climates, and testing markets before gradually scaling its store network.
HLA’s promotion in Australia has so far been relatively restrained, with limited marketing activity and a modest online presence.
The competitive landscape, however, is well established. Japanese retailer Uniqlo has become a strong benchmark for international mass-market apparel brands in Australia. In the 12 months to 31 August 2025, its Australian sales rose 19.4 per cent to A$817.1 million, while net profit increased 27 per cent to A$87.1 million, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. Its position has been built around functional products such as AIRism and HEATTECH, alongside a strong reputation for quality and value. Cotton On Group remains a major force among younger, trend-driven consumers through accessible pricing and rapid product turnover, while mid-premium Australian brands such as Country Road and M.J. Bale compete through lifestyle positioning, fit and an established understanding of local consumers.
Chinese apparel brands are also becoming more visible in Australia, often pairing physical expansion with a greater emphasis on localisation. In 2022, Chinese womenswear brand GOELIA opened its first Australian flagship at Westfield Sydney on Pitt Street, supported by an international online business reaching customers in more than 60 countries.
Chinese lingerie brand Aimer followed in January 2026, reportedy by Launch Story, with its first Australian store in the same retail precinct, placing the brand alongside established international luxury labels such as Prada.
(cover image: In Chatswood, the second HLA store is currently under renovation and will soon open)
(Image credit: Austin Wu & rednote @Hillside Architecture)