1. History

2. Stores

3. Services

4. Future of Big W

5. See also

6. References

7. External links

  {{third-party|date=June 2016}}  {{COI|date=June 2016}}

Big W is an Australian chain of discount department stores, which was founded in regional New South Wales in 1964. The company is a division of Woolworths Limited and as at 2015 operated 186 stores, with around 22,000 employees across Australia and Asia.

History

Woolworths Limited developed the Big W brand to provide Australian shoppers with a broad range of general merchandise products in a dedicated one-stop-shop. The Big W chain grew out of Woolworths Limited's original Variety stores, which carried a small range of general merchandise products. The first Big W department store opened in 1964 at Jesmond, New South Wales. Big W's name reflects the complementary relationship it has with Woolworths Supermarkets although the W does not stand for woolworths but instead the initial for warehouse adopted from Woolworths original name of Woolworths bargain basement warehouse. The separation of Big W and Woolworths supermarkets was largely completed by 1989, although a few Woolworths Variety stores continued to operate into the 1990s (such as the one in Rundle Mall, Adelaide).

Stores

In 2015, there were 186 Big W stores trading across Australia: 63 in New South Wales, 46 in Queensland, 34 in Victoria, 17 in Western Australia, 17 in South Australia, 5 in the Australian Capital Territory, 3 in Tasmania and 2 in the Northern Territory.^[3] It was announced in 2019 that Woolworths over the next 3 years will close 30 Big W stores and two distribution centres.^[4]

Services

In 2007, Big W began trialling optometry services in South Australia and since then, these services have been added to selected stores in Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.^[5] Big W were the second company in Australia to use self-serve checkouts, which were introduced in 2003 on a trial basis in two of Sydney's major stores and began expanding throughout Australia in late 2005.{{Citation needed|date=December 2008}}

In August 2014, Big W launched its first party store at Rouse Hill in New South Wales and its second at the newly refurbished Macquarie Centre at North Ryde in New South Wales. There are currently over 186 stores across Australia.^[6]

Future of Big W

Speculation regarding the future of Big W rose following losses reported in August 2016 and the resignation of its chief executive in November 2016.^[7][8]

Big W posted a loss of $150.5 million in the year to June 2017.^[9]

On April 1, 2019, The Company announced that Following another $110M Financial Loss, 30 Unprofitable Stores will Close as well as Two Distribution Centres in Queensland and South Australia.

See also

• Kmart Australia
• Target Australia

References

External links

• {{Official website|http://www.bigw.com.au/}}

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