kath n kim

Hi! Thought I'd post this because I know I wish I'd had this info when we first arrived here.......... Equivalent shops to U.K.................
I know we had no idea which shops were equivalent to, or sold the same sort of stuff as all the shops that I was used to in the U.K, and I really wish I'd had some sort of conversion table!
So I thought I'd start this thread for all the new arrivals, it may be of some use..?
Please remember that this is just my opinion of similar shops, so if you disagree, please add your opinion too! And if you can think of any others add them......
Bunnings........ B&Q/Jewson
DIY store selling all sorts of home improvement, garden stuff.
Coles..........Safeways/Sainsburys
Woolworths..........Tesco
Action..........Tesco/Kwik Save
Bi-Lo.............Kwik Save
All these are Supermarkets.
Target.........Marks & Spencer?
no food halls, but quite reasonable underwear, kids clothes etc..
K-Mart........Littlewoods?
bit cheaper than Target same type of stuff... clothes,toys,furnishings,stationary etc....
Big W..........B Wise/Peacocks?
cheaper again! same stuff......
Super A mart......MFI
cheap furniture
Myer.........Debenhams
David Jones.....Debenhams

I know there's LOADS of other shops to mention, but thought I'd let someone else add a few.... and their opinions. So if you can, add some more........
kath n kim

chocaholic

Target's ok, but it doesn't remind me of Marks. Target is alot cheaper but you get value for money, I suppose. There's no food there is there?

Pollyana

I would've put K-Mart as more like Woolies (UK) or Primark
Coles - lesser quality Sainsburys/Tescos - haven't yet found anywhere to equal the best Tesco/Sainsburys stores
Target - Littlewoods/BHS
David Jones/Myer clothes sections - Marks & Spencer (but with poorer quality knickers!)
Apart from that, I reckon thats pretty close to what I would've come up with. Good idea!

jayr

Well I think Target is great (in a value for money kind of way) but its no M&S - It's closer to UK Woolworths but with adult clothes.

Coles/Woolworths/Action/Bi-Lo - Kwik Save (but, for the first two, without the savings)

K Mart - bit more like Poundstretcher

Myer/DJs - I'd say a bit more like House of Fraser than Debenhams

Jonahs_mummy

[QUOTE=kath n kim]Target.........Marks & Spencer?
no food halls, but quite reasonable underwear, kids clothes etc..
K-Mart........Littlewoods?
bit cheaper than Target same type of stuff... clothes,toys,furnishings,stationary etc....
Big W..........B Wise/Peacocks?[QUOTE]

I agree that info like this would be useful for those of us that haven't been to Aus before.

I would say that TARGET is more like Peacocks and Woolworths combined, and that K-MART is more like Primark! I have loads of clothes from Target for myself & my son & I must say that I find the quality for the price to be far superior to an item of the same price in the UK.

Believe it or nor, Woolworths in the UK is owned by the same parent company as Woolworths in Aus, and also Big W. There are Big W's in the UK but in Aus they tend to be better, with a wider range.......

jayr

I don't believe it - the two are completely separate organisations even though they appear suspciously similar (a la Big W), they both also have CEO's called Corbett but there the similarities end.

jensteve

How can Woolies and big W be two different companies.
Woolworths is global, Big W was bought out by them to be more on the industrial parks, they are the same companies I should know I've got a pension from that group and just sold my shares before I came out.
I think you will also find Woolworths back in the Uk is starting to go more village shop style in some areas, selling food etc. This was a strategy bought in 5 years ago because they where loosing out on the food sales with other high street stores. They should be creeping across the Uk slowly, they even include prescription pharmacy and ciggies and alcohol. It was a major thing for them, so don't be surprised if in 10years Woolies back in the Uk looks more like the one we have here, and all the High St stores are converted to Big W.
Jenny

Jonahs_mummy

I used to work for a compnay that supplied the Woolworths Group with point of sale artwork & I CAN confirm they have the same PARENT company - whether the CEO's of the specific countrys "Woolies" are different or not............

kath n kim

Oh dear! I knew comparing Target to Marks & Sparks would cause a bit of contoversy!
Sorry, it doesn't REMIND me of Marks & Spencers either, it was just the nearest Aussie equivalent that I could compare it to, although, I must admit the quality isn't quite as good, but Target is definately cheaper!

NickyC

I think what Jayr is saying is that the Australian Woolworths and the US/UK Woolworths are completely different companies. The Australian Woolworths was started in Australia and is still an Australian company with no connection to any other Woolworths anywhere else. That's not to say that they didn't deliberately name it Woolworths to cash in on the other ones...

Have a look here http://www.woolworthslimited.com.au/...tory/index.asp.

Jonahs_mummy

Granted - I take it back.

I had a look at http://www.woolworthsgroupplc.com/ which gives details on the UK operation.

My old company used to supply both with point of sale merchandising - maybe they now have some sort of promotional agreement.....?

jayr

I presume the UK Woolies pinched the Big W idea from the Ozzies