Costco aiming for July opening

John Moulis said :

News report on radio yesterday says Brand Depot will close down completely in September. Expect to see Woolies hardware in the building soon after.

Some of the tenants were being quite defiant about having to move, but evidently they’ve been told because they seem to be making new plans. Sauvage Urbain, the very good kitchenwares shop, is moving to Civic.

EvanJames said :

Keijidosha said :

Woolworths/Lowe’s joint venture hardware store?

Yep. Danks bought up all the Magnet Marts in December last year, and now Woolworths/Lowes have bought up Danks. They’re set to put a big-box home improvement centre into the Brand Depot building, which is being thoughtfully cleared out for them by the owner.

News report on radio yesterday says Brand Depot will close down completely in September. Expect to see Woolies hardware in the building soon after.

Keijidosha said :

Woolworths/Lowe’s joint venture hardware store?

Yep. Danks bought up all the Magnet Marts in December last year, and now Woolworths/Lowes have bought up Danks. They’re set to put a big-box home improvement centre into the Brand Depot building, which is being thoughtfully cleared out for them by the owner.

EvanJames said :

There is also some interesting gossip around about what is going into the Brand Depot building. Bunnings are feeling nervous about it.

Woolworths/Lowe’s joint venture hardware store? I would have also thrown Magnet Mart up as an option, but Bunnings have pretty much stomped out their fire already.

… and yet another update. The frame for the building is now looking big and impressive. It only started going up a week and a half ago, heavy steel framing bolted together, but a lot of it is up.

Meanwhile Brand Depot is emptying, only about 15 shops left (from memory, Bi-Lo, Fossil, Memorabilia and the football shirts shop, Holy Sheet, the Kitchen shop, the food places, Luggage place, Carpet place, Parliament, the appalling furniture shop, perfume place, and some assorted stuff shops). The “join CostCo” shopfront is doing a roaring trade in memberships and prospective staff putting resumes in.

There is also some interesting gossip around about what is going into the Brand Depot building. Bunnings are feeling nervous about it.

A little update: this CostCo shop front at Brand Depot now has sandwich boards out inviting people to apply to work at CostCo (they ask people to drop their resumes in). Sales people, storemen, the full gammut. Seemed to be quite a few people in there, signing up for their CostCo membership or applying for jobs. The shop front is around near Subway.

It is amazing that Snow was able to offer a lease to a big-box grocery store, when Supa-Barn was operating almost next door. Seems that the standard clause about competition within x distance wasn’t in their lease agreements.

It is a shame, the Majura Park Supa Barn was excellent in every way, and reasonably well patronised. When the 2 new buildings were populated with office people, their customer catchment was set to treble.

EvanJames said :

I was at a CostCo in the US a week or so back, and picked up a double-pack of Tabasco. The bottles were pint-sized, $10 the lot.

at last, a reason to visit costco

arescarti42 said :

screaming banshee said :

arescarti42 said :

The focus is on really high quality, restaurant grade foods,

Do they pay well?

Their employees? As far as I’m aware they pay above award rates and staff get free store membership.

Above award? Wow how generous, they pay more than the absolute minimum they are required to by law…

screaming banshee said :

arescarti42 said :

The focus is on really high quality, restaurant grade foods,

Do they pay well?

Their employees? As far as I’m aware they pay above award rates and staff get free store membership.