“World’s largest Officeworks” officially opens in Australia
Officeworks has launched its biggest store yet in Australia and it has been dubbed the “megaworks” of all the office supply chain stores.
At nearly 6,500 square metres, the new store in the south-eastern Melbourne suburb of Mentone in Victoria, is at least four times the size of an average Officeworks store.
With over 35,000 different products, including a 3D print and copy centre and items that were only available online – the newest Officeworks has become a hub that supports shopping online as well as in store.
Officeworks’ Corporate Affairs and Brand Manager, Alex Staley, told A Current Affair the new store will complement the business’ online presence, which makes up about 20 per cent of all sales.
“When you're shopping online you need to know what you want, but we still know a lot of our customers want to come in and actually see the product, touch the product and interact with the product,” Ms Staley explained.
The newest store in Melbourne will act as a distribution centre for the city’s south-east suburbs, ensuring some online purchases are delivered within the same day.
The superstore, which is similar to a “warehouse,” says Australian Retailers Association Executive Director Russell Zimmerman, could be a buffer against online retailers.
“There are opportunities for retailers to use space, if they can get it at the right price and then use it as a warehouse-type setting so they can actually carry more product and then use the online capability to deliver it,” Mr Zimmerman said.
However, Officeworks' decision to create a megastore comes at a time where big retailers are opening smaller stores in order to keep up with costs and make convenience a priority for shoppers.
“Australia has one of the dearest rents in the world for retail floor space so they will look to reduce their size for that reason,” he said.
“But equally so we are seeing an incredible growth in online and the need to have as many shops and as big shops is probably becoming more important in reduction.”
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