The Walmart Chronicles

[griffin]

Could you explain more?

We have had Coles and Kmart stores that sit alongside one another and are the only stores on their block, but they are two separate stores. Are these Hypermarkets altogether in the one building, under the same roof?

A hypermarket is a single store that is supposed to be a step up from supermarket - in that it covers pretty much everything a grocery and a department store has. Think of it as a Coles and a Kmart next to each other, with the dividing wall knocked down. They are really huge stores.
The only drawback is that their toy sections are pretty pathetic. I never go there to check out their toy stock, because they rarely have any TFs in stock.
Not sure if they are a successful concept though, as the two stores are still operating, but no others have been opened during that 15-20 year period. I had heard rumours that they were going to be reverted to Kmarts or Coles a few years ago when Coles Group was going through a huge restructure (which saw the end of the Bi-Lo brand in most states), but it never happened, so maybe wasn't true.

[griffin]

This article talks a little about Hypermarkets:
http://enc.slider.com/Enc/Hypermarket

And this article details quite nicely about what Hypermarkets are, and how the Coles Group have tried it in the 80s without success, and almost tried them again 2 years ago, but shelved the plan when Wesfarmers bought them out.
http://www.ausfoodnews.com.au/2008/0...australia.html
It does omit the existence of the two Hypermarkets that have existed up here in Brisbane for the last 20 years, which undermines the purpose of the article.

I also came across this 'newspaper' article:
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/...333423981.html
It claims that Australia has no Hypermarkets, but this is a Sydney 'paper', so the writer probably didn't know about the ones in Brisbane.

But don't worry, you guys in Sydney and Melbourne will once again have a taste of hypermarket goodlines...
http://www.ausfoodnews.com.au/2008/1...urbulence.html
As mentioned in the first link above, it could be claimed that Costco isn't really a true Hypermarket. It does cover all the product types a Hypermarket covers, but has a limited range on each product type (like in Aldi stores).

[TheDirtyDigger]

But who is to blame really? Regulators for not ensuring that such market power's not concentrated. Or ourselves for the pursuing the savings w/out a sense of business morality?

Well you can never trust the people to do the right thing concerning the greater good. Regulators need to be given teeth by the government. In the supermarket industry in Australia the big 2 are capped by the govt. at 80% market share. The greedy bastards try to get around this any way they can though.
I think a move to fascism is needed for a while to iron out all the kinks in society.

[i_amtrunks]

Thanks Griffin.

When you have a coles and a Kmart next to each other, and no other shops on the block anyway, I can't really see the difference to knocking the wall down.

Or am i the only one who does not like the idea of having meat, vegies, cereal and cat food in the same trolley as toys and t-shirts?

[jaydisc]

Costco, at least in the USA, is another departure from what we've been discussing here so far. Costco is what I refer to as membership-based wholesale. Basically, there is a yearly membership fee (e.g. US$50) which is required simply to gain entry to the store. The store is very warehouse-y in feel, and everything is sold in large quantities. For example, you can't buy a bag of chips, you buy a BOX of bags of chips. These stores have branched out to electronics and toys and naturally, don't apply the large quantity requirement there.

In the USA, this is the same as BJs and Sams Club (Walmart's wholesaler)

[MV75]

Jay, as I asked earlier, what are your thoughts on costco? How are they in comparison in the states? We will be getting them here at some stage soon.

And the hypermarket, it's great. I like the Aspley one. It's sort of a store lost in time, or how they used to be. As follows below.....

Thanks Griffin.

When you have a coles and a Kmart next to each other, and no other shops on the block anyway, I can't really see the difference to knocking the wall down.

Or am i the only one who does not like the idea of having meat, vegies, cereal and cat food in the same trolley as toys and t-shirts?

Mate, back in the day, a coles used to, as standard, have groceries, clothes, big toy aisle, etc. They used to all be in one. They often used to have cafe type resturants up the back of the store as well. They were more of a department store as standard.

I remember when they used to have the kmart/coles next to each other at Aspley as well. Back in the days where you could buy computer games, shot guns, clothes, christmas gifts, and do your shopping.

Years ago we did used to have this shopping nirvana.

Just yesterday I was wondering (on the size of northlakes, where you have to pack a lunch to trek from myer to target), at what point will people go, "nah stuff this, it's all too big". ?

I think that is coming. Shopping centres really are getting too large to be bothered going to every store. There are too many specialty shops inbetween.

I welcome the change back to department stores.

[jaydisc]

Jay, as I asked earlier, what are your thoughts on costco? How are they in comparison in the states? We will be getting them here at some stage soon.

Sorry, I must have missed the question. My partner does most of our grocery shopping and my mother does most of my clothes shopping (to this day ), so all I really shop for at retail are toys, and they don't seem to carry much. Everything else I buy online, so I don't really have much of an opinion.

If you're down with saving money by buying in bulk, it's a good deal. If you're the type who buys what you need as you need it, I doubt it'd be cost effective.

[MV75]

So they don't have the "monopoly" vibe that walmart does?

[jaydisc]

No, definitely not. They have 2 or 3 major competitors and are not in all areas of the USA.

[i_amtrunks]

Mate, back in the day, a coles used to, as standard, have groceries, clothes, big toy aisle, etc. They used to all be in one. They often used to have cafe type resturants up the back of the store as well. They were more of a department store as standard.

The local Coles/Kmart near me were separated by a wall, but there was a dodgy restaurant at the back of the Kmart store for years, then in the mid 90's it was shut down. Always thought it was strange when I was a kid, but I guess it's no different to the larger complexes having 3 or 4 food courts in them!