By James Wells

MELBOURNE: Retravision Retail Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Retravision Southern Limited, will open its first company owned store in Auburn on 1 June, delivering on the group’s promise to take back share of the crucial New South Wales market.

A document distributed to suppliers by Retravision Southern company secretary, John Raciti, has confirmed the first company-owned store will be opened in the western Sydney suburb – one of the most competitive retail precincts in Australia.

The move back to Auburn pits the Retravision brand against The Good Guys in the Home Mega Mall complex, nearby Narta members Clive Peeters and Seconds World as well as Harvey Norman’s Flemington store adjacent to its head office as well as its mid to high-end electrical and furniture retailing business – Domayne.

“We are pleased to advise that effective Friday 1 June 2007, Retravision Retail Pty Ltd, trading as a wholly owned subsidiary of Retravision Southern Limited, will operate Auburn Retravision, Auburn, as a company operated store with the store manager as the primary contact," Raciti said in a statement.

The move back to Auburn delivers on the promise made by Retravision chairman, Bill Harries, earlier this month at the group’s national seminar in Alice Springs when he said the group would grow purchases by $500 million, or almost 40 per cent, in three years through a net growth of 26 stores primarily focused on New South Wales and Canberra.

“Smaller stores will inevitably lose and smaller stores will be replaced by larger stores. It is necessary to develop a critical mass of large format stores – it is our key priority to develop Retravision brand in New South Wales,” Harries said at the seminar.

“We are aware of these areas we need to target – large footprint stores in metropolitan Sydney and Canberra and we will look at Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie as well as Newcastle.

“It is also necessary to expand our stores in major regional centres which is a traditional stronghold which our competitors have shown a desire in.

“The size and shape of our existing stores will have to change for us to remain competitive.”