42-666: Bi-Lo was an Australian supermarket chain owned by Wesfarmers . Once a chain of 180 outlets, Bi-Lo stores were progressively re-branded as Coles Supermarkets from 2006, or closed. On 30 June 2017, the final store in Shailer Park , Queensland closed. Bi-Lo was established by John, Peter and David Weeks in South Australia in 1979. The first stores opened at Stirling and Aldgate in South Australia's Adelaide Hills region after being converted from hardware outlets, followed by
84-921: A 50% interest in investment house Gresham Partners plus interests in Gresham Private Equity Funds, 50% interest in Wespine, a plantation softwood sawmill in Dardanup and a 24% interest in BWP Trust which mainly owns Bunnings Warehouses tenanted by Bunnings Group Limited. On 16 June 2014, Wesfarmers completed the sale of its insurance broking and premium funding operations, including OAMPS Insurance Brokers in Australia, OAMPS UK, Crombie Lockwood in New Zealand, Lumley Finance and Monument Premium Financing to Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. On 30 June 2014, Wesfarmers completed
126-617: A Bi-Lo Discount Petrol site at Narrandera , New South Wales . In August of that year, all Newmart Supermarkets operated by Bi-Lo in Western Australia were transferred to the management of Coles Supermarkets. One Newmart Supermarket located in Bentley , Western Australia was rebadged as Coles, subsequently closing in September 2017. In 2003, Bi-Lo relaunched with the slogan "Why Pay More". In July 2006, Coles Myer CEO John Fletcher announced
168-532: A Coles Supermarket already existed in the same complex (for example, at Westfield Fountain Gate ). However, Northcote Shopping Centre have two Coles Supermarkets in their proximity which were former Bi-Lo sites, and they still operate to this day. Some stores, such as Bi-Lo Arkaba in South Australia, were originally Coles Supermarkets before being re-branded to Bi-Lo in the late 1990s. Some Bi-Lo stores were re-branded to Coles Supermarkets, despite Coles already existing in
210-658: A co-operative to a public company and listed on the Australian Securities Exchange on 15 November 1984. Initially the Co-operative retained 60% of the ordinary shares, guaranteeing that the co-op's farmer members retained control, and the rest was distributed to its members. In 1991, 19 m of the records of Westralian Farmers Co-operative were deposited with the J S Battye Library in Perth. Bought in January 1993
252-442: A loss of A$ 1.96 billion. Australian Railroad Group began a joint venture with Genesee & Wyoming by the purchase of Westrail at the beginning of 2000. It was sold in 2006 to Babcock & Brown and Queensland Rail . In 2001, Wesfarmers became a freely-traded publicly listed company with open ownership. After becoming a public company, Wesfarmers diversified its interests by acquiring other businesses. This division
294-458: A market-style atmosphere. Bi-Lo purchased six Newmart supermarkets in 1996 for A$ 16 million. Newmart was a small independent discount chain in Perth , Western Australia with a similar format to Bi-Lo: discount groceries, bulk foods, extensive fresh produce, meat and delicatessen sections. Bi-Lo was unable to re-brand the stores since Foodland Associated Limited traded stores in Western Australia under
336-608: A meeting to discuss its intention to demerge Coles. The demerger was effective from 21 November 2018 with Wesfarmers retaining a 15% shareholding. During 2020 Wesfarmers reduced its equity in Coles to 4.9%. In April 2023, Wesfarmers sold off the last of its shares in Coles. Wesfarmers Resources owned and operated open-cut coal producing resources in Australia including the Curragh in Queensland. Wesfarmers divested its coal business, completing
378-578: A restructure of its department store businesses into a single division named Department Stores, with each brand (originally Kmart and Target) continuing to operate independently. The division was later renamed Kmart Group . In August 2019, Catch Group, operator of the online shopping website catch.com.au, was acquired by Wesfarmers and included in the group. Kmart is a discount department store retailer in Australia and New Zealand. Kmart has more than 300 stores around Australia and New Zealand, employing more than 42,000 staff. Kmart Tyre & Auto Service
420-979: A single, new Industrials division. Wesfarmers Chemicals, Energy & Fertilisers (WesCEF) produces and markets chemicals, fertilisers and gas products. WesCEF has ammonia and ammonium nitrate production facilities in Western Australia, 50% of QNP ammonium nitrate production facilities in Queensland, sodium cyanide production facilities in Western Australia, PVC resin and specialty chemicals production facilities in Victoria, LPG and LNG distribution across Australia with LPG and LNG production facilities in Western Australia and fertiliser production and importation facilities in Western Australia. WesCEF employs more than 1,200 staff. WesCEF businesses include CSBP , Australian Vinyls, AGR, QNP, Evol LNG, Kleenheat and Modwood. Wesfarmers Industrial and Safety provides industrial and safety products and services in Australia and New Zealand. On 1 December 2014, Wesfamers Industrial and Safety completed
462-478: A strategy to progressively re-brand Bi-Lo, Kmart , First Choice Liquor , Liquorland and Theo's under the Coles banner. Bi-Lo supermarkets were to be re-branded as Coles supermarkets, with others changing to other Coles Group businesses. Coles planned to keep some Bi-Lo lines in its re-branded stores. Re-branding Bi-Lo stores began later in 2006 and had been expected to be completed by mid-2007. A small number of stores were to be re-branded Coles Discount Grocery where
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#1732877092327504-452: Is an Australian businessman. He is the former CEO of Coles Myer , the biggest retailer in Australia . Prior to Coles Myer, Fletcher was CEO of Brambles Industries , after a long career with them spanning 19 years, initially in an accounting role, and later in general management. His lack of retailing experience was criticised by some, citing Fletcher's admission that he "hadn't set foot in
546-585: Is made up of Bunnings Warehouse , a retailer of home improvement and outdoor living products, servicing home and commercial customers in Australia and New Zealand, and Officeworks , a retailer and supplier of office products for home, business and education in Australia. There are 210 Bunnings "warehouse" (larger) stores, 67 Bunnings small-format stores, 36 Bunnings Trade centres and 171 Officeworks stores. Bunnings employs more than 33,000 staff and Officeworks employs more than 8,000 staff. In January 2016, Home Retail Group accepted an offer from Wesfarmers to acquire
588-633: Is no longer a part of Kmart after parent Wesfarmers sold the auto division to German company Continental AG . Kmart Tyre and Auto has since been rebranded by Continental AG to MyCar. Target is a mid-level department store retailer in Australia. Target employs more than 12,000 staff. Target Australia has no connection to the American retailer of the same name . In August 2015, Wesfarmers announced an organisational restructure to cluster its three industrial businesses, Chemicals, Energy & Fertilisers (WesCEF); Resources; and Industrial and Safety (WIS) into
630-457: The 2023 financial year, it is one of Australia's largest companies by revenue. Wesfarmers is also one of the largest private employers in Australia, with approximately 107,000 employees. Wesfarmers was founded in 1914 as a co-operative to provide services and merchandise to Western Australian farmers. It was listed on the Australian Securities Exchange in 1984 and grew into a major retail conglomerate. Westralian Farmers Co‐operative Limited
672-757: The Bi-Lo name at the time. The Newmart chain grew to 18 stores by 2002, had its own website until 2006, and like Bi-Lo, launched the slogan "Extra Value for You" in 1999. Started in 1987 by Fred Fairthorne of Farmer Jack's fame, as an independent discount supermarket with three stores in Greenwood , Floreat and Kardinya by 1992 to the West Australian Independent Grocers buying group - which also included Farmer Jack's, Advantage . MAC's and Charlie Carter's - its home brand products were "Black & Gold". A further three stores were opened between 1992 and
714-663: The British home improvement retailer and garden centre Homebase . Stores in the United Kingdom and Ireland began to be rebranded as Bunnings following the takeover. However, following Wesfarmer's sale of Homebase to Hilco in May 2018, it was reported that the 24 stores already converted would return to the "Homebase" branding. In 2019, Officeworks group acquired Geeks2U, an Australian provider of on-site information, communication and technology services. In February 2016, Wesfarmers announced
756-443: The Coles conversion, an election-style campaign also featured the stylised Bi-Lo Docket with the tag "Reduce the total of your docket!" Former slogans included "We Do, You Do" and "Cheap Groceries". In response to its main competitor Franklins launching "Franklins Big Fresh" in the early 1990s, Bi-Lo launched its Mega Frrresh brand at Greenacres , South Australia in 1994. Like Franklins Big Fresh, it combined discount shopping with
798-463: The Newmart brand in 2003, selling five stores to Action Supermarkets ); all five Action supermarkets were later bought out and became Woolworths outlets. These stores were located at Noranda, Stirling Central, Booragoon, Clarkson and Collie. Coles Supermarket in Bentley , Western Australia still contained Newmart awnings, aisle signage and checkouts up until the store closed on 22 September 2017. The site
840-479: The Newmart name was retained due to its strong brand identification and the existence of an unrelated chain of the same name. In 1998, Bi-Lo purchased three Northern Territory supermarkets in Darwin and Alice Springs . Bi-Lo/Newmart opened nine new stores and completed 23 refurbishments in 2000, and opened 26 more stores and completed 11 refurbishments in 2001. The last Newmart stores in Western Australia to open before
882-477: The acquisition of a third store at Murray Bridge . Coles Myer cited that by 1979, Bi-Lo was South Australia's cheapest grocer. Bi-Lo was a leader in adopting new technology and by 1983 operated product scanning systems in all stores, the first grocery chain store in Australia to complete scanning across all stores in the group. By 1987, Bi-Lo was operating 28 supermarkets in South Australia and generating one third of metropolitan Adelaide’s supermarket sales, when it
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#1732877092327924-666: The acquisition of the Workwear Group of Pacific Brands Limited . Its businesses now include Blackwoods, Greencap, Bullivants, Coregas, Blackwoods Protector, Safety Source, Total Fasteners, Packaging House, King Gee, Hard Yakka, Stubbies and GotStock. The division's 32 New Zealand stores are now all branded as NZ Safety Blackwoods. These include former Blackwood and Packaging House stores, and 19 former Paykel Engineering Supplies purchased in 2003. Wesfarmers acquired Australian Pharmaceutical Industries (API) in March 2022. API would form
966-815: The basis of a new healthcare division of Wesfarmers and a base from which to invest and develop capabilities in the health and wellbeing sector. In June 2023, Wesfarmers reached an agreement to buy InstantScripts for $ 135 million. Wesfarmers has 100% interest in many other subsidiaries across Australia, New Zealand, India, New Caledonia, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Indonesia, China, Bermuda and Singapore. These include BBC Hardware , Coles Ansett Travel, Coles Group Superannuation Fund, Coles Property Management, Comnet, Fosseys , Grocery Holdings Pty Ltd, Harris Technology, Howard Smith , Katies Fashions, Loyalty Pacific, Masters Home Improvement New Zealand, Morley Shopping Centre, now.com.au, Theo's Liquor, Tooronga Shopping Centre, Tyremaster, Viking Direct and World 4 Kids. Wesfarmers has
1008-978: The chain was absorbed into Coles Supermarkets were at Garden City , Booragoon (October 2000) and Ocean Keys , Clarkson (July 2001). Newmart Stores in Garden City, Collie , Stirling Central, Noranda and Ocean Keys became an Action Supermarkets outlet at the same time, then became a Woolworths outlet. In 2002, Bi-Lo acquired and converted 15 Franklins sites, in New South Wales (Warilla Grove, Campbelltown - now Coles, Hillsdale - closed 2003, Mount Druitt - closed 2005, Shellharbour , Lavington , Thirroul ), Queensland ( Kawana , Capalaba - Closed 2007 reopened as Coles 2008, Hope Island , Loganholme ), Victoria ( Southland , Waverley Gardens - closed 2004, Lalor , Broadmeadows ) and South Australia ( Unley - closed 2005). Around 820 former Franklins employees were offered positions at Bi-Lo. Bi-Lo also opened 7 stores and
1050-562: The closure of Warwick and Alderley (both later reopened as Coles) in Queensland and as of April 2016 Coles take over of the Lisarow store in New South Wales left only one store remaining at Shailer Park , Queensland . This store closed on 30 June 2017, ending the Bi-Lo brand after 38 years in operation. The tag-line "Extra Value for You" was used between 1999 and 2003, which was replaced by "Why Pay More!" Between 2000 and 2005, TV cook Iain Hewitson
1092-683: The first public radio station in Western Australia with 6WF , before it passed into the hands of the Australian Broadcasting Commission in 1929, now called ABC Radio Perth The organisation was linked with the activities of the Co-operative Federation of Western Australia . By the 1940s, the company's business included "being wheat and general merchants; country distribution for Commonwealth Oil Refineries ; wool, livestock, skin and produce auctioneers; grain & fruit exporters; insurance underwriters; acquiring agents for
1134-921: The integration of Dalgety Farmers with Wesfarmers proved more difficult than expected. For a time the merged rural agency and merchandise business was Wesfarmers Dalgety until renamed Wesfarmers Landmark in March 2001 after IAMA Limited was brought in. Landmark, Wesfarmers foundation business, was sold to AWB Limited (originally the Australia Wheat Board) in August 2003. An initial investment in 10 percent of Bunnings in February 1987 reached full ownership in January 1994. Bunnings bought UK retailer Homebase in February 2016 and Britain's first Bunnings store opened twelve months later in February 2017. They were 265 well-located stores and Wesfarmers believed Bunnings' management would greatly improve their modest profits. The plan
1176-431: The operations of the two companies to supply the northwest of Western Australia. Along with wool and mail, it carted bananas from Carnarvon to Perth, returning with stores and mail from Perth. Gascoyne Trading introduced refrigerated transport to the region and three trailer road trains that now carry loads up to 115 tonnes. In 1984, Westralian Farmers Co-operative Limited formed Wesfarmers Limited, restructuring from
1218-536: The process with the sale of its 40 per cent interest in the Bengalla Joint Venture to New Hope Corporation for $ 860 million on 3 December 2018. In 1950 Wesfarmers purchased the Gascoyne Trading Company (GTC), growing it to become the largest transport operator in Western Australia. Until 1971 it held the sole rights for direct road transport between Carnarvon and Perth. In 1973 a joint venture
1260-579: The remaining Bi-Lo stores to rival chain Foodworks. Further stores were closed or marked for closure due to poor performance and small store size, including Armidale and Merimbula. At its peak, Bi-Lo had more than 180 stores and employed 13,600 people. By September 2009, only 60 stores remained, 39 stores in New South Wales. 19 stores in Queensland and 2 stores in Victoria At the end of December 2014, that number had decreased to seven stores. As at March 2016 with
1302-470: The replacement of Bi-Lo's budget items with more expensive equivalents, and the removal of trademark budget meat packs. Reflecting on the failed conversion strategy later in 2007, Coles chief operating officer Mick McMahon stated "a strategy you can't execute is probably not the right strategy". In October 2008, Coles stated it was planning to create a discount supermarket chain to replace the remaining Bi-Lo stores. In 2009, Coles stated it would sell eight of
Bi-Lo (Australia) - Misplaced Pages Continue
1344-634: The retailer in April. Coles is a national supermarket, department store. liquor, fuel and convenience retailer in Australia. As of September 2013, Coles operated 756 full-service supermarkets, 810 liquor outlets, 92 hotels, and 636 fuel and convenience stores. Wesfarmers bought Kmart and Target when they bought Coles. Coles employs more than 105,000 staff. Coles' businesses include Coles Supermarkets , Coles Online , Coles Express , Vintage Cellars , 1st Choice Liquor Superstore , BI-LO , Coles Financial Services and Liquorland . On 16 March 2018, Wesfarmers held
1386-677: The sale of its insurance underwriting operations, including the WFI and Lumley brands, to the Insurance Australia Group . On 2 July 2007, Wesfarmers announced it was purchasing the Coles Group retail business for $ 22 billion making it the largest successful take-over in Australian corporate history. Wesfarmers took control of Coles on 23 November 2007, after paying almost $ 20 billion for the company. Wesfarmers had already purchased 13 per cent of
1428-507: The sale to Coles and its reincarnation into a Western Australian version of Coles' South Australian-based budget brand Bi-Lo in 1996, with the introduction of Bi-Lo branded products and the well-recognised Newmart tick logo rejigged to match Bi-Lo's yellow logo, among other things being refitted at Newmart to match Bi-Lo's national image, retaining its name in the process. In 2002, Coles assumed management of Newmart, immediately re-branding seven stores as Coles supermarkets, before discontinuing
1470-419: The same shopping centre (like Northcote Plaza and Ingle Farm Shopping Centre, where there are two Coles stores). However, Coles Group announced in March 2007 it was "pausing" the re-branding of Bi-Lo stores to Coles, following the poor results of the 129 stores re-branded thus far. Market analysts commented that the conversion program was unsuccessful due to Coles' transforming of stores in affluent areas first,
1512-542: The wheat pool of W.A." Known as Westralian Farmers Limited, it had premises in various locations within the Perth central business district . In the 1940s there were premises at 563-571 Wellington Street . It also had premises in Newman Street in Fremantle . In 1949, Wesfarmers acquired Ashburton Transport, which at the time was lossmaking. The following year it also acquired its major competitor Gascoyne Trading , combining
1554-456: Was acquired by Coles Myer , which also purchased the 34-store Shoeys discount supermarket chain in New South Wales (subsequently renamed as Bi-Lo). Bi-Lo later expanded into Queensland and Victoria . In December 1994, Bi-Lo opened its first Mega Frrresh store at Greenacres , South Australia , in response to its then chief competitor Franklins "Big Fresh" concept. In 1996, Bi-Lo acquired six Newmart supermarkets in Western Australia although
1596-587: Was formed in 1914 as a cooperative company by the Farmers' and Settlers' Association of Western Australia , to acquire the assets of the West Australian Producers' Union, to be focused on the provision of services and merchandise to the Western Australian rural community. By 1919, more than 65 local co-operative companies were acting as agents for Westralian Farmers Limited. In 1924, it established
1638-502: Was formed with Downard to enter the interstate freight forwarding market between Western Australia and Victoria . In 1985, GTC purchased a 50% shareholding in Total West from Mayne Nickless . In 1996, after taking full ownership of Total West, Wesfarmers merged it with GTC to form Wesfarmers Transport. In 2001 the business was sold to Toll Holdings . John Fletcher (businessman) John Edward Fletcher (born 5 April 1951)
1680-400: Was the face of Bi-Lo and Newmart supermarkets across Australia, with Bi-Lo sponsoring and supplying his cooking shows. In late 2005, a stylised Bi-Lo docket was adopted as Bi-Lo's mascot and its use replaced Hewitson. At this time, the tag-line "It's the total of the docket that counts!" was used. In 2003, a campaign recording customer answers to "Why do you shop at Bi-Lo?" was used. In 2007 amid
1722-650: Was then immediately refurbished to become a Spud Shed . The Woolworths store at Stirling Central Shopping Centre in Westminster , Western Australia still contained Newmart awnings, checkouts and security (loss prevention) buzzers on stands at the end of the checkouts until its refurbishment in 2018. Wesfarmers Wesfarmers Limited is an Australian conglomerate , headquartered in Perth , Western Australia. It has interests predominantly in Australia and New Zealand, operating in retail, chemical, fertiliser, industrial and safety products. With revenue of A$ 43.5 billion in
Bi-Lo (Australia) - Misplaced Pages Continue
1764-461: Was to make changes gently but tactics changed and local management, perceived as under-performing, was removed and replaced by expatriate management. The expatriate management's changes alienated the existing customer base and, aided by a poor retailing climate, brought a rapid decline into losses. A strategic review by Wesfarmers resulted in the May 2018 sale of the Homebase business to Hilco Capital at
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