Big W
Encyclopedia
Big W is one of the largest chain of discount department stores in Australia, with over 150 stores. It is a division of Woolworths Limited
, the second largest retailer in Australia. Its main competitors are Kmart
and Target
, both owned by Wesfarmers
.
In the 1960s the company created an additional store type (Big W) to complement the Woolworths supermarkets
and, ultimately, replace the extensive variety store network. The first Big W branded standalone store opened its doors in 1976 in Tamworth
.
The separation of Big W and Woolworths supermarkets was largely completed by 1989, although a few Woolworths variety stores existed into the 1990s (such as the one in Rundle Mall, Adelaide
).
Currently, Big W has 164 stores trading across Australia, with 58 trading in New South Wales
, 40 trading in Queensland
, 26 trading in Victoria
, 14 trading in Western Australia
, 13 trading in South Australia
, three trading in the Australian Capital Territory
, three trading in Tasmania
and one trading in the Northern Territory
.
In 2006, Woolworths along with Big W rolled out new Retalix point of sale
systems running on IBM
POS hardware with LCD
touch-screens throughout all its stores.
In October 2007, Woolworths announced a $1 billion makeover of Big W, including a new store format, logo and slogan. The first store with the new format is located in the Rouse Hill Town Centre
in New South Wales, which first opened on 6 March 2008. The new logo started appearing in advertisements, store dockets, and a redesigned Big W website on 24 October 2007. The former tagline, "We sell for less", was replaced with "Live big for less".
In December 2008, Julie Coates took the general manager position after it became apparent Greg Foran would take over running the supermarkets and liquor division in Australia and New Zealand from Naum Onikul, who stepped down from the position.
Many of the techniques used by Big W in promotions were nearly identical to the US chain Wal-Mart
, such as the in store "smiley face" and the "price rollback". Indeed, former Woolworths Chief Executive Officer and former Big W Managing Director, Roger Corbett
, has a mentor relationship with a former President of Wal-Mart, and has been appointed to the board of the American retailer. However Big W has begun to establish their own promotional slogans coinciding with their transition to a new look example: 'low prices everyday' (a Wal-Mart slogan) has been replaced by 'Low Prices The Whole Shop The Whole Time'.
in Brisbane
, QV
in Melbourne
, and the Canberra Centre
in City Centre
, Canberra
.
In April 2009, Australia's largest Big W store (with a floor area of 10,000 m²) was opened in the new $300 million redevelopment at Robina Town Centre
on the Gold Coast
, Queensland
.
Townsville's third store at Castletown opened October 2010 and a fourth store is planned for stage 2 of Fairfield Waters.
Big W has annual mid-year and Boxing Day sales. Big W also has special events to bring in seasonal clothing ranges and new homewares. The launch of Christmas trading in early to mid-November also sees special offers and store centered marketing.
Woolworths Limited
Woolworths Limited is a major Australian company with extensive retail interest throughout Australia and New Zealand. It is the:* largest retail company in Australia and New Zealand by market capitalisation and sales...
, the second largest retailer in Australia. Its main competitors are Kmart
Kmart Australia
Kmart Australia Limited is a discount department store chain owned by Wesfarmers. It operates 172 stores in Australia and 15 in New Zealand, with its head office located in Mulgrave, Victoria. Wesfarmers uses the Kmart name under licence from Sears Holdings Corporation.-History:Kmart Australia...
and Target
Target (Australia)
Target Australia Pty Ltd is an Australian department store chain owned by Wesfarmers . It operates 172 Target stores and 119 Target Country stores making 291 combined stores with its head office located in North Geelong, Victoria. It sells clothing, cosmetics, toys, homewares, electrical and...
, both owned by Wesfarmers
Wesfarmers
Wesfarmers Limited is one of Australia’s largest public companies and one of Australia's largest retailers. Its headquarters are in Perth, Western Australia....
.
History
Woolworths Limited's original Woolworths variety stores carried a range of general merchandise. An increasing percentage of later stores opened sold supermarket grocery lines, which eventually became the company's focus.In the 1960s the company created an additional store type (Big W) to complement the Woolworths supermarkets
Woolworths (supermarkets)
Woolworths is the largest supermarket chain in Australia, owned by Woolworths Limited.-History:Woolworths Limited was founded in 1924, with the first store opening up in Sydney's Imperial Arcade.-2008 rebranding:...
and, ultimately, replace the extensive variety store network. The first Big W branded standalone store opened its doors in 1976 in Tamworth
Tamworth, New South Wales
Tamworth is a city in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Peel River, Tamworth, which contains an estimated population of 47,595 people, is the major regional centre for southern New England and in the local government area of Tamworth Regional Council. The city...
.
The separation of Big W and Woolworths supermarkets was largely completed by 1989, although a few Woolworths variety stores existed into the 1990s (such as the one in Rundle Mall, Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
).
Currently, Big W has 164 stores trading across Australia, with 58 trading in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, 40 trading in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, 26 trading in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, 14 trading in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, 13 trading in South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
, three trading in the Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
, three trading in Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
and one trading in the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
.
In 2006, Woolworths along with Big W rolled out new Retalix point of sale
Point of sale
Point of sale or checkout is the location where a transaction occurs...
systems running on IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
POS hardware with LCD
Liquid crystal display
A liquid crystal display is a flat panel display, electronic visual display, or video display that uses the light modulating properties of liquid crystals . LCs do not emit light directly....
touch-screens throughout all its stores.
In October 2007, Woolworths announced a $1 billion makeover of Big W, including a new store format, logo and slogan. The first store with the new format is located in the Rouse Hill Town Centre
Rouse Hill Town Centre
Rouse Hill Town Centre is a sub-regional shopping centre in north-western Sydney, in the suburb of Rouse Hill. The centre is part of a larger development proposal for the Rouse Hill Regional Centre....
in New South Wales, which first opened on 6 March 2008. The new logo started appearing in advertisements, store dockets, and a redesigned Big W website on 24 October 2007. The former tagline, "We sell for less", was replaced with "Live big for less".
In December 2008, Julie Coates took the general manager position after it became apparent Greg Foran would take over running the supermarkets and liquor division in Australia and New Zealand from Naum Onikul, who stepped down from the position.
Business
One of Big W's key strategies is "everyday low prices". Thus, Big W never has storewide percentage-off days. Nevertheless, Big W still has a weekly catalogue advertising these "everyday low prices", which generally runs from Wednesday to Tuesday.Many of the techniques used by Big W in promotions were nearly identical to the US chain Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
, such as the in store "smiley face" and the "price rollback". Indeed, former Woolworths Chief Executive Officer and former Big W Managing Director, Roger Corbett
Roger Corbett
Roger Campbell Corbett AO is an Australian businessman. From January 1999 to September 2006, Corbett served as CEO of Woolworths Limited, a large retailing conglomerate. He is now a director of Wal-Mart, the Reserve Bank of Australia and Fairfax Media...
, has a mentor relationship with a former President of Wal-Mart, and has been appointed to the board of the American retailer. However Big W has begun to establish their own promotional slogans coinciding with their transition to a new look example: 'low prices everyday' (a Wal-Mart slogan) has been replaced by 'Low Prices The Whole Shop The Whole Time'.
Stores
Most Big W stores are located in suburban and regional locations. However, in recent years three stores have been opened in central business districts, at Macarthur CentralMacArthur Central, Brisbane
MacArthur Central is an English Renaissance styled building located on the north-east corner of Queen Street and Edward Street in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia...
in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, QV
Queen Victoria Village
Queen Victoria Village, generally known as QV Village or just QV, is a precinct in the central business district of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia...
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, and the Canberra Centre
Canberra Centre
Canberra Centre is a shopping centre located in Civic, Canberra, Australia. It opened on 6 March 1963 as the Monaro Mall, then underwent a $220 million redevelopment and became the Canberra Centre in 1989...
in City Centre
City Centre, Australian Capital Territory
The central business district of Canberra, Australia's capital city, is officially named City . However it is also referred to as Civic, Civic Centre, City Centre, Canberra City and Canberra ....
, Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
.
In April 2009, Australia's largest Big W store (with a floor area of 10,000 m²) was opened in the new $300 million redevelopment at Robina Town Centre
Robina Town Centre
Robina Town Centre is a large shopping centre covering in the suburb of Robina, Queensland with over 350 retail outlets covering over . - History :...
on the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
.
Townsville's third store at Castletown opened October 2010 and a fourth store is planned for stage 2 of Fairfield Waters.
Services
Services such as lay-by, parcel pick-up, home delivery, photo processing and price checkpoints are typical of most Australian discount department stores. In 2007, Big W began trialling the provision of optometry services in South Australia and since then, these services have been added to selected stores in Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales. Big W also pioneered the Australian introduction of eight self serve checkouts, which were first introduced in 2003 on a trial basis in two of Sydney's major stores and began expanding throughout Australia in late 2005.Sales
Big W has several major sales annually, most coinciding with sales held by its rivals Kmart and Target. The largest is the July toy sale. The July toy sale is a key indicator to business and retail performance measurements for the new financial year.Big W has annual mid-year and Boxing Day sales. Big W also has special events to bring in seasonal clothing ranges and new homewares. The launch of Christmas trading in early to mid-November also sees special offers and store centered marketing.