Supermarkets and Retail

Medium W could be it’s new name perhaps?

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It doesn’t sit anywhere in the market anymore. Kmart is the cheap department store with a focus on homewares and clothes while Target is lower priced but still has brand names now Kmart doesn’t with a bit of a wider selection of items. Big w just looks weird inside now with useless party sections and drab interiors and no strong focus.

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Big W was awesome in the pre-internet shopping days.

There’s still a few product areas they could do well in, but the problem is that none of them really fit together all that well anymore.

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Whoever thought dedicating 15-20% of Big W stores to party supplies is an idiot.
Having seen how inept Woolworths management is first hand at anything that isn’t food, liquor and pokies, it doesn’t surprise me that Big W has continued to produce losses for the company despite years of promising to turn it around.

Not to mention the puzzling rebrand and stores in the network that have been untouched since the early-mid 90s.

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Spotlight works as a party store as they have very large sections with a huge range for adults and children. Most $2 type discount stores like Ronis have good party sections too. The Big W party section is rubbish.

That was really unnecessary. For the most part the stores themselves looked fine. The problems are range, cohesion, service, and promotion (for starters).

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Well in my opinion Big W has a better range of products than Kmart, in terms of the variety of brands available, I realise Kmart is cheaper but you can’t for example buy a Sunbeam Kettle from Kmart.

Don’t forget to that Kmart around 15 years ago as a brand was in real trouble, Target was going well, now it’s the other way around, all company’s go though bad spells.

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Not sure what everyone’s hate is for Big W? Then again, the Bathurst Store in my opinion has always been great. Always neat, stocked, big and has had a recent makeover. Bathurst Store is well worth a look :+1:

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Thanks. Next time I want a $3 T-shirt I will go several hours out of my way to Bathurst Big W.

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Agree, not 100% sure why there is so much hate for Big W. My local Big W is fantastic, it’s always well stocked, good location, it was mentioned in a article in the local newspaper a few weeks ago, that the opening of Big W here in 2012 is one of the reasons why our local Target, which has been operating here since the mid 1970’s, is closing down at the end of May. After that we will only have 1 Kmart & 1 Big W here.

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having worked and managed a party shop in my younger days (a proper specialist store - people in Brisbane might remember it being opposite the gabba on vulture street) the profit margins look great on paper but stock loss, gas and labor just kills it. theres not that much profit in retail.

we made most of our profits on importing and wholesaling to other party shops - we only kept the retail arm open as we did a ton of corporate events - the sort of events that Big W won’t get

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Coles and Aldi have finally given in and will increase the price of their 2L and 3L milk from tomorrow (Wednesday) morning.

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Big W are having a Flash Sale, but you better Hurry coz the Bargains Finish at Midnight. https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/home/big-w-launches-massive-online-flash-sale-on-homewares/news-story/85eac8abab234afe91a72afa5d902b52

Regarding the increase in the price of milk:

“Good Things Are Happening at Coles, After They Happen At Woolworths”

“Aldi. Good. Late.”

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Scentre has announced its plans for the extension of Westfield Sydney into the existing David Jones Market St store. David Jones will move out mid next year, consolidating its operations into the Elizabeth St store.

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Shades of Emporium in Melbourne which was once Myer’s Lonsdale Street store.

I was expecting that when I heard David Jones was opening the top floors of the Elizabeth Street store when offices moved out.

Don’t like the idea of retail space in that area replaced with more apartments.

MYER Melbourne is brilliant now.

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It sure is.
You should see how Perth myers compares. Run down, old, crack tired toilets always broken… disgusting really. Never going to compare to teh high classiness and highest standards of Myers in Melbourne :stuck_out_tongue:

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Less retail space overall but DJs consolidating will unlock a huge amount of space for new retailers to open up in the CBD.

The apartments will only be in the new tower above. The rest of the existing building will be offices so I guess they could convert them back to retail in future if they wanted to.

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