As Big W prepares to close its doors in Griffith, rumours still circle about the identity of its replacement.
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Here’s what we DO know:
Big W say the site has already been offered to another business
When it was announced Big W was closing its doors after 40 years, a spokeswoman attributed the closure to an inability to reach an agreement with the landlord.
“We entered into negotiations with the landlord, however we did not reach an agreement and the lease on this site was offered to another business,” she said.
“The local community in Griffith have been valued and loyal customers since 1978 and the BIG W team have thoroughly enjoyed being part of the residents’ daily lives.”
Big W’s last day of trading is set for April 15.
Kmart has remained coy about any plans to set up shop in Griffith
A spokeswoman for Kmart has refused to deny any future plans for shops in or around Griffith.
“We are always looking for new locations to bring people our everyday low prices, and that includes Griffith,” they said in February.
“At this time we have no firm announcements, however if this changes we will advise the community with a formal announcement.”
Follow-up requests from The Area News confirm the answer remains the same.
People have been hired and some are being trained
The Area News can confirm people have been hired by Big W’s replacement and sent to Sydney for training purposes.
The demand is definitely there
A poll by The Area News shows some 67 per cent of respondents prefer Kmart to Big W.
Big W’s Griffith closure comes after news the chain suffered a $150 million loss nationwide in the 2016-17 financial year.
