JB Hi-Fi store manager Nino Cuciniello and The Good Guys
By Glen Atwell
NEED a computer or laptop? How does a new flat-screen television, or a state-of-the-art refrigerator sound?
Cranbourne residents are flocking to the Homemaker Centre on the corner of South Gippsland Highway and Thompsons Road, which has become a one-stop shop for everything electrical and entertainment.
Technology giants JB Hi-Fi and The Good Guys recently joined Harvey Norman and Betta Electrical at the super site, and the good news for consumers is; competition is strong.
The Cranbourne Homemaker Centre opened its final stage earlier this month and retail property manager Michael Read said it was great to have such strong competition.
“The centre is more than 40,000 square metres in size and is around 1.3 kilometres long, so there is plenty of room to accommodate each brand,” he said.
The Good Guys proprietor Frank Butera said trade had been encouraging since the store opened in June.
“We opened on 4 June and had the grand opening a few weeks later,” he said.
“Trading has been positive, and the recent opening of JB Hi-Fi has boosted sales.”
“Weekdays can be quiet, but the weekends are great.”
Mr Butera said he did not consider JB Hi-Fi a direct competitor and believed it would only add to his business.
“JB complements The Good Guys,” he said.
“Their expertise is in accessories, CDs and games, we focus on whitegoods.”
The two stores overlap on the sale of LCD and plasma televisions but Mr Butera said there was enough trade to go around.
“We’re expecting an increase in TV sales in the lead up to the Olympic Games,” he said.
“Most companies have recently released new models, which will encourage people to buy.”
JB Hi-Fi chief executive Richard Uechtritz said the new store was trading well since opening a few weeks ago.
