Seriously, you couldn’t make this sh*t up…
For most of Canberra, to get out there you’d drive past multiple woolies, and at least one Big W. You may even go past a tricky dickies as well… Let alone if you had to bus it…

The Woolworths might succeed based on the thousands of people that travel along Majura road every day, you know, people picking up shopping after work and such.

The Big W and Dick Smith seem like weird choices, they don’t strike me as “pick up a new TV on the way home from work” type purchases, and most people would probably be closer to the Big W and Dick Smith in Gungahlin/Belconnen/City than the airport.

Turning it into a “woolworths precinct” will pave the way for one of their “Oxygen” stores (like Lowes in the USA, a Bunnings on steroids) when they get off the ground. That would set the place up as being more of a homemaker type centre rather than your average suburban shopping centre.

ANother Big W. How exciting.

Apparently you guys all think you’re better at retail planning than Woolworths Limited. Interesting.

If you want to read about the issues that Woolworths Limited have with planning, zoning and development assessments, and why many of these issues might be mitigated at somewhere like Majura Park, then take a look at the Woolworths Limited submission to the Productivity Commission in September 2010.

arescarti42 said :

The Woolworths might succeed based on the thousands of people that travel along Majura road every day, you know, people picking up shopping after work and such.

Copying Supabarns success???

The interesting thing here is that multiple major retailers are assuming that being close to a freight hub is more important than being close to where the customers are.

johnboy said :

The interesting thing here is that multiple major retailers are assuming that being close to a freight hub is more important than being close to where the customers are.

Perhaps the idea is that having the shop closer to the freight hub can mean lower prices, which people will go out of their way to take advantage of. It’s not necessarily an idea I would think successful in Canberra, though.

I think people are forgetting the fact that The closest woolies to the entire Manuka area is Woden, and while there is a Coles right there, I prefer to shop for groceries and other stuff at the same time meaning I have to go to Woden.
With the Woolies opening about 5-6Km from my house, and being able to go to Toys’R’Us at the same time is a dream come true

johnboy said :

The interesting thing here is that multiple major retailers are assuming that being close to a freight hub is more important than being close to where the customers are.

And what freight hub would that be johnboy?
The Canberra International Airport only deals in passengers and parcels. Try “air freighting” something bulky through Australian Air Express and see how far you get. Canberra does not have enough commerce to support establishment of an air freight facility and the idea of a 24 hour national freight hub to service Sydney is just plain ludicrous.

There is one reason I go out to the airport precinct: to get on a plane, or pick someone up.

I don’t go there to shop. Ever. It’s completely out of the way. Maybe Woolworths knows something about Canberra shopping habits that I don’t, but I don’t know anyone who’ll shop for groceries out there.

johnboy said :

The interesting thing here is that multiple major retailers are assuming that being close to a freight hub is more important than being close to where the customers are.

Ummm there is no frieght hub. I had to get several big air frieght containers shipped to Sydney then trucked to me becuase AAE and everyone else just looked at me blankly when I asked if it could be flown to Canberra and unloaded there where I would arrange to pick them up and move it to my house.

Lord Snow is on crack if he thinks that Canberra Not Really All That International Airport is a freight hub. The only waty to get frieght into Canberra is via road or rail (and rail is painful as well)

Sammy said :

Apparently you guys all think you’re better at retail planning than Woolworths Limited. Interesting.

Well, better than the folks who created and marketed Brand Depot anyway.

Sammy said :

If you want to read about the issues that Woolworths Limited have with planning, zoning and development assessments, and why many of these issues might be mitigated at somewhere like Majura Park…

Maybe their planning/zoning/development issues can be solved by placing a store in the middle of nowhere.. it doesnt solve the fact that people obviously arent going out to that area to do their shopping, no matter how much woolworths would like to think it will.. Maybe Woolworths should have spoken to the vendors who have all gone out of business in the area in recent history if they dont believe the customers here on RiotACT.

dungfungus said :

And what freight hub would that be johnboy?

I think that would be the freight hub snowco are slowly creating. Put all those big shops together and you almost have a freight hub already, simply with the amount of trucks rolling in to keep them all stocked.

majorLazer said :

I think people are forgetting the fact that The closest woolies to the entire Manuka area is Woden, and while there is a Coles right there, I prefer to shop for groceries and other stuff at the same time meaning I have to go to Woden.
With the Woolies opening about 5-6Km from my house, and being able to go to Toys’R’Us at the same time is a dream come true

Unless you’re a crow, Woden is still most likely closer, quicker, and easier to get to from Manuka.