Toys’R’us, Anaconda, Nick Scali and Amart Furniture will be among anchor tenants in converted Masters stores slated to open between October and December in Rutherford and Penrith in NSW, South Morang in Victoria, and Tingalpa and North Lakes in Queensland.
Consortium chairman David Di Pilla said the first five stores were focused on the leisure and lifestyle category, with some homeware and electrical offerings included.
“Those centres that we are going ahead with before Christmas are largely tenanted up. Some are full, some have maybe got one spot left,” Mr Di Pilla said.
In the retailing mix at each new centre will be service-oriented tenants including childcare centres, gyms, cafes and medical centres or other clinics.
4 Likes
3 Likes
Harbour Town in Docklands will get a $150 million redevelopment which will see a H&M, Hoyts Cinema and Woolworths Inculded in the redevelopment. The Harbour Town name will be dumped and rebranded as The District Docklands.
3 Likes
Guess the inevitable had to happen at some point. They haven’t been part of the same ownership as the rest of the harbour towns for some time now.
Kinda has the look of a DFO.
David Jones has revealed it will open a new food store at Malvern Central at Melbourne’s inner south east in March next year. It will be smaller than the one at Bondi Junction and will sell mostly pre-packaged foods under the DJ brand.
3 Likes
I think it’s a big risk. I do question the long term viability of these high end food stores. With continued pressures on all things $$ related showing no signs of easing this is the first thing people will cut back on, expensive overrated foods. One reason why ALDI has boomed in this market.
Coles and Woolworths in the Sydney CBD have more expensive prepared foods than what’s available in the suburban stores. DJs in the City and Bondi Junction will probably work with high-end food, as the City already has, but I can’t see it working anywhere else
3 Likes
How many stores were they planning? Half dozen odd stores is it really worth the effort for such a minimal probable return considering the scale of the rest of the DJs mothership.
Mabye picking up where Thomas Dux left off.
1 Like
I think the demand is there, but seems to be served by small businesses - a lot being IGAs and some totally independent. If David Jones can successfully leverage their brand to taking over that share of the market - it could be very profitable for them.
I’d think that a real key would be a manager in each store with a huge amount of options for special orders and a lot of control over the lines they stock. If you’ve got that directed from above, I think you’re doomed to fail.
2 Likes
DJ has planned a store in Wollongong. They are at least two stores each in Sydney and Melbourne, and I think one each in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, so that’s eight stores.
I don’t think Wollongong is exactly a well off area, although the housing market would make you think otherwise (77% increase in median house prices in 5yrs), so it will be interesting to see how that store goes. Should open in about 2 months.
Supposed to be opening October 5 in the space previously occupied by Myer.
Woolworths results out next week. Expect a grilling from Analysts in regards to BIGW expected to post a loss 150-200m. Losing more than Masters.
Target appears to have the worst behind them (in terms of double/triple figure losses) only posting a 10m loss for the year. Guy Russo’s stock arrives this summer so will be interesting to see the results going forward. BIGW still has not done a single thing yet aside change their logo. There has been no range changes or significant business changes. I’m not sure where it’s going but it’s not looking great.
Does anyone think BIGW can survive? Kmart are opening 10 new stores this FY. That’s a potential 5% canabalisation of its rivals network which further deteriorates it.
Safeway! 
I used to love Southland.
Prefer Chaddy (biggest SC in the Southern Hemisphere) these days, pre-Christmas, etc.
–
RE: Docklands
The outdoor ‘shopping centre’ there is a massive fail, ghost town last time I visited, poor knock-on effect for the Melbourne Star wheel too.
–
Also heard Coles posted its first profit loss in a decade & first time they’re trailing Woolworths now?
An amazing run though & Woolworths have invested $1 billion in cutting costs (despite the annoying “Down Down” ads for the past 7 years).
Perhaps new minds are required at the Hawthorn East “Battlestar Galactica”?
1 Like
Yep! I believe the store signage was changed over sometime in June or July 2013.
Chadstone is very nice, I agree, but Southland is just easier and there are less people.
1 Like
So true 
With Chaddy:
-
Often have to queue in gridlock off the Monash Fwy / along Warrigal Rd.
-
Try to get a car park, impossible (despite thousands of parks).
-
Way too busy.
-
Somewhat convoluted.
-
Takes 15min to get from one side of the SC, to the other!
So why is it then that you
6 Likes
Chermside, Carindale, or Garden City?
Disregard Indooroopilly. I love Carindale but I’ve been to Chermside twice in the last month and it seems to have a lot more to offer.
I think I’ve been there. Doesn’t it have a library upstairs?