Hedrena Piccadilly store manager Wanda Quagliato.

AUSTRALIAN Wool Network has opened a new Hedrena retail outlet in Sydney’s central business district, just four months after purchasing the base layer woollen garment manufacturer and Woolmark licensee.

The Hedrena Piccadilly store in the Stockland Piccadilly Shopping Centre is the company’s second Sydney CBD retail outlet.

The company also has retail outlets in Melbourne’s Collins Street, Glenferrie Road in Malvern, and Geelong in Victoria, in St Ives in New South Wales and in Adelaide, South Australia.

AWN said the opening of this new retail store is another step in the wool broker’s journey to showcase Australian wool through the manufacture of garments made from wool grown by AWN clients. Hedrena is celebrating the opening of the new store with a sale from November 17-20.

Store manager Wanda Quagliato said she is extremely excited about the new, convenient location and the range of garments on offer.

“We have 1400 units of stock on the floor in our amazing new store, so this is a wonderful time for Hedrena,” she said.

Hedrena chief executive officer Ben Earl said the partnership between Hedrena and AWN resulted in the highly prominent store in the heart of Sydney’s CBD becoming a reality.

“Our goal is to reach a new audience and we have been seeing this from day one.

“This store creates a natural apparel experience for customers with the hero being Australian wool,” he said.

“It is the first store to map the Australian wool journey with displays of fleece, yarn and knitted fabric in store.”

Mr Earl said the strategic synergy between Hedrena and AWN had unlocked a wealth of specialised Australian wool knowledge.

“This new store definitely connects the businesses.

“It showcases the cohesiveness between the two companies,” he said.

“Everyone is sharing the same vision.”

As a pioneer in the next-to-skin base layer market, Hedrena uses non-mulesed Australian Merino wool, initially spun overseas and knitted, cut and sewn at its original Geelong West factory. The company was originally established in 1992 by Hedley and Irena Earl to value add to their superfine Merino flock at Ocean Grove.

The July 1 purchase of the Geelong-based company gave AWN two Australian-based manufacturing companies, three retail fashion brands and retail outlets across three states.

AWN opened its new Hysport factory at Carrum Downs in March, where Hedrena garment manufacture is now also based. Hysport manufactures garments are made from pure wool and wool blends, and marketed under the brands, MerinoSnug, Only Merino and OM. Hedrena products are also marketed through the 282 outlets that Hysport supplies and MerinoSnug garments are sold through the Hedrena retail outlets.