Kambo’s Retravision wins ERA WA Store of the Year Award

By Craig Zammit & James Wells

SYDNEY: Kambo’s Retravision in Malaga, Western Australia has been voted the Electrical Retailing Awards (ERA) WA Store of the Year and is now in the running to win the Australian Store of the Year award to be announced at the 2007 ERA Awards night this Friday.

The largest Retravision superstore in Australia, Kambo’s Retravision represents the only Retravision shop so far to be named state winner, and will now join the six other finalists, including Harvey Norman Warrawong and Harvey Norman Chadstone, in the running for Australian Store of the Year Award, to be presented at the Sofitel Wentworth in Sydney.

The huge, 3,230 square metre store, which opened in March 2006, features a Bridal Registry Service, fully-functional home cinema rooms, an interactive youth area, TicketMaster booth, dedicated Sony World area and Australia’s largest range of whitegoods and browngoods.

“We have tried to take a totally different approach and keep the store as open as possible. We didn’t want the layout to become sterile and when people come into the store they can look straight ahead and clearly see where things are,” said the director of operations, Sam Pantelis.

The Kambo’s store has just completed its first birthday celebrations.

“Everyone has come to the party – the reps have been terrific and their input has been invaluable. A lot of families are coming through the store as they feel comfortable – it is a good formula,” said Pantelis.

The managing director of the store, Peter Kambouris, has taken his first trip away since conceptualising the store – which is a combination of two existing stores at Malaga and Beechboro – to conduct a retail study tour in North America.

The ERA State Store of the Year awards are determined  by over 100 industry suppliers and judge on customer appeal, staff knowledge, local marketing initiative, buying and operational efficiencies and sales success.

The Australian Store of the Year ERA is one of the four major awards to be announced on the night, with the other major Awards including Product of the Year, Supplier of the Year and Retail Organisation of the Year.

The ERA Awards combine the efforts of the electrical retailing industry’s leading trade publication – Appliance Retailer, as well as the industry’s leading data provider – GfK Australia, in conjunction with a national judging panel representing a cross section of the industry’s leading retailers and the major suppliers and manufacturers.