Officeworks

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Officeworks
Subsidiary
Industry Retail
Founded June 1994[1]
Headquarters East Bentleigh, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Number of locations
152+
Key people
John Gillam (CEO/Managing Director, Wesfarmers Home Improvement & Office Supplies)
Mark Ward (Director, Officeworks)
Revenue Increase A$1.7 billion (2015)
Increase A$93 million (2012/13)
Number of employees
6,000+[2]
Parent Wesfarmers
Divisions Officeworks Retail, Officeworks Business, Harris Technology
Slogan Big Ideas. Lowest prices.
Website www.officeworks.com.au
File:Inside a new officeworks store.jpg
View of the interior of a new Officeworks store, post re-branding.
File:Pfficeworks inside.jpg
View of the interior of a new Officeworks store, post re-branding.

Officeworks is a chain of Australian office supplies stores in Australia and the market leader. The company was established in the early 1990s by Coles Myer (which became Coles Group, now part of and owned by WA-based company Wesfarmers). Its head office is located in Bentleigh East, Melbourne. The store concept adopted by Officeworks was based on the US chain Office Depot.[3] '

History

Formation to 2008

The first Officeworks store opened in the inner city suburb of Richmond in Melbourne on the 16th of June 1994.

Harris Technology, an IT retailer, was purchased by Coles Myer in 1999 and became a subsidiary of the larger office supplies retailer. Viking Australia (a subsidiary of Office Depot) was purchased by Coles Myer in December 2002 and was merged with Officeworks Direct to form Officeworks BusinessDirect, now referred to as Officeworks Business.

By late 2006 the business opened its 100th store in South Yarra, just kilometres from the first store in Richmond. Officeworks had 139 retail stores as at May 2011,[4] with a presence in every Australian state and territory. As of June 2013, the count now is 150 stores.

Following the purchase of Coles Group by Wesfarmers in November 2007, Officeworks and Harris Technology form part of Wesfarmers' Home Improvement and Office Supplies division.

Rebranding 2008

Officeworks rebranded in 2008, revising its logo, uniforms, store department names, and slogan - "Lowest Prices Everyday". The revised branding positioned Officeworks as a low cost warehouse similar to that of its sister company Bunnings Warehouse. Officeworks also adopted the "Lowest Price Guarantee" similar to that found at Bunnings, where Officeworks will beat any competitor's price of an identical item by 5%. In 2011 Officeworks cut ties with paper supplier APRIL over claims that the paper supplier was illegally logging Indonesian forests.[5]

2012 to present

Officeworks changed its slogan in August 2012 to "Big Ideas. Lowest prices" focusing on a new advertising campaign. Under the new campaign, commercials focus on store inventory being checked "twice daily", and slogans such as "we buy in bulk, so you get the lowest prices" are used avidly.[6] Officeworks "lowest price guarantee" still remains with a 5% discount offered if a lower price is found elsewhere. Officeworks has also begun offering free Wi-Fi access in all Officeworks stores nationwide.[7]

Business

Most Officeworks stores feature the following departments:

  • Print & Copy (aka Copy Centre, formerly Printworks) - Provides services including printing, photocopying, laminating, custom promotional products, Photobooks, business cards, printed stationery, stamps and name badges
  • Technology (aka Business Machines, formerly Techworks) - Computers, business machines, consumables and other electronic products.
  • Furniture (formerly Furnitureworks) - Chairs, desks, workstations, filing cabinets, pedestals, lighting and other office furniture.
  • Stationery - Pens, paper and other stationery needs.

Some stores formerly featured Inkworks, which provided ink and toner replacements and recycling. This is now part of Technology/Business Machines.

Officeworks Business is the internet and phone sales division of Officeworks, with its own warehouses. It stocks a larger range to retail stores on a delivery only basis, with a focus on day-to-day needs of medium to large businesses rather than small business and general consumers that shop in store.

Online sales for Officeworks in the 2011/12 financial year increased by 10%.[8]

3D Experience Centre

On June 15, 2015, the Russell Street store in Melbourne opened Officeworks' first 3D Experience centre with 3D printers and scanners for sale, as well as 3D printing and scanning services. Installed is a full body scanner where a customer can have a 'Mini Me' printed - a miniature figurine in full colour. The centre was launched with the #MiniMelb campaign, where 50 Melbourne icons were 3D printed and placed on display at a tram stop on Flinders Street. Officeworks has partnered with additive manufacturing company Keech3D to provide these products and services to customers.

See also

References

  1. Our Stores. Officeworks. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
  2. About Us. Officeworks. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
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  6. Campaignbrief - Officeworks launches 'Big Ideas. Lowest prices' campaign
  7. Free WiFi service. Officeworks. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
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External links