Big W

Big W

File:Big W logo.svg Logo used since 2009
Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Retail
Founded	1964 in Jesmond, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
Founder	Woolworths Limited
Headquarters	Australia
Area served	Australia
Products	Apparel, health and beauty items, manchester, kitchen utensils, toys, pet supplies, office essentials, books, electronics, furniture, snack foods, small home appliances
Number of employees	18,000 (2024)
Parent	Woolworths Group

Big W (presented as BIG W) is a discount department store franchise originating in regional New South Wales in 1964. Operating as a branch of the Woolworths Group, it managed 179 outlets in 2024, and employed approximately 18,000 individuals. Big W’s product range includes apparel, health and beauty items, manchester, kitchen utensils, toys, pet supplies, office essentials, books, electronics, furniture, snack foods, and small home appliances available both online and in physical locations.

History

The inaugural Big W store debuted in 1964 at the Jesmond shopping complex in Newcastle. Originally functioning as a full-service department store akin to Myer and David Jones, it operated alongside Woolworths Variety outlets that stocked a limited selection of general goods.

In 1970, the Big W brand was replaced by Woolworths Family Centres, which offered an extensive assortment of general merchandise alongside supermarket products, before evolving primarily into supermarkets during the 1980s. The Big W name was reinstated in 1976 with the launch of a discount department store concept in Tamworth, establishing the enduring format still utilized today.

Woolworths Limited created Big W to serve Australian shoppers with a convenient all-in-one destination for general merchandise. The "W" reflects its affiliation with Woolworths.

By 1989, Big W had mostly distanced itself from Woolworths supermarkets, although some Woolworths Variety stores continued operating into the early 1990s.

In August 2022, Big W introduced its first compact-format outlet located in Sydney's Town Hall. Then in November 2023, Big W launched Big W Market, an online platform allowing third-party vendors to sell directly to customers.

Services

Since rolling out its contemporary store design in 1976, Big W incorporated garden centres comparable to those at Kmart and Target. These garden centres expanded through the 1980s and early 2000s but were gradually removed from most locations by the late 2000s and completely discontinued by the late 2010s. Around 2023, Big W eliminated garden centres entirely due to weak live plant sales; however, gardening products such as seeds, fertilisers, and herbicides remain stocked.

Big W was among the first Australian retailers to pilot self-checkout technology in 2003 at two Sydney sites, with a broader rollout across the country commencing in late 2005.

In August 2014, Big W opened its initial party-focused store at Rouse Hill Town Centre, New South Wales, followed by a second location within the renovated Macquarie Centre. Presently, there are 176 Big W stores nationwide.

In 2022, Big W ceased its photo printing service inside stores due to reduced demand and increased online photo order usage. Customers can continue to place orders online for collection at physical stores.

Former services

Beginning in 2007, Big W introduced optometry services initially in South Australia, subsequently extending these offerings to selected outlets across Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania, and the Australian Capital Territory. In May 2019, the retailer declared the shutdown of all 41 Big W Optometry centers, resulting in the loss of 175 positions. Optometry sections within Big W stores continued operating until their concluding appointments in July 2019. By August 2019, every optometry facility had ceased operations, allowing the company to repurpose the space for alternative departments or lease it out.