JB capitalises on gap in the regional market.
The closure of the Dick Smith store in Macquarie Street, Dubbo has created an opportunity for JB Hi Fi to extend its regional footprint in New South Wales. However, the retailer won’t be moving into to that particular site, rather the vacant premises left by the closure of the town’s IGA Bernardi’s store (pictured below).
Speaking to Dubbo’s Mayor Mathew Dickerson and his deputy Ben Shields, the dailyliberal.com.au has reported that the arrival of JB is a positive move for the local community.
o close “Hearing that [IGA] was closing was certainly a shock for me but as one door closes, another opens and JB Hi-Fi is something the people of Dubbo have been calling for a long time now,” Cr Dickerson said.
“We’ve worked with JB over a number of years, and looked at a number of locations with them but they have a specific requirement for floorplan and size of premises and the timing of it worked out that the IGA site at the mall was suitable for them,” he added.
Cr Shields, who had been actively campaigning for JB Hi-Fi to come to the city for about six years believes the arrival of JB will give the town a boost.
“It’s about time,” he told dailyliberal.com.au
“It’s something Dubbo desperately needs. Dubbo has 130,000 people who shop here and if we don’t have the best shops available people will go elsewhere, like Orange or Tamworth.
“The electronics market is a big one, and having JB Hi-Fi will be great for the people who don’t live in our neighbourhoods but travel to do their shopping.
Meanwhile,Cr Shields had a shot at the lack of interest by Wesfarmers in moving to the town.
“The Dubbo Big W store is the third-highest retailing Big W store in Australia but Wesfarmers don’t seem to think its main competition should come to the city,” he said.
“The largest Aldi store is here as well. I think it’s a corporate embarrassment that Big W’s major competitor isn’t here when the figures suggest the market is huge,” he concluded.