‘K hubs’ are coming to town ‘early 2021’

Kmart says new ‘K hub’ stores in Warwick and Stanthorpe – to replace the existing Target Country outlets – will open in “early 2021” but is yet to provide a more specific timeframe.

Target announced in May of this year its Warwick and Stanthorpe stores would be converted to Kmarts, following a major shakeup of the Target brand by the Wesfarmers group, which owns both chains.

Across Australia around 75 Target outlets will close for good.

The Target brand nationally – and Target Country, smaller-format stores in regional areas – has struggled financially in recent years and Wesfarmers says this was compounded by COVID-19.

“The actions … reflect our continued focus on investing in Kmart, a business with a compelling customer offer and strong competitive advantages, while also improving the viability of Target,” Wesfarmers Managing Director Rob Scott said in a statement in May.

“For some time now the retail sector has seen significant structural change and disruption, and we expect this trend to continue.”

But if you thought the ‘full’ Kmart experience is due to hit Warwick and Stanthorpe you’ll need to adjust your expectations to some extent – the new stores will be ‘K hubs’, which Wesfarmers says is a “new concept”.

Kmart Australia and New Zealand Retail Director John Gualtieri said “at Kmart, we’re on a mission to make everyday living brighter for Australian families, by providing easy access to the everyday items they need, at the lowest possible price”.

“It’s how we make shopping more accessible to more people; and it’s at the heart of everything we do,” Mr Gualtieri said.

“As a business, we’re committed to opening stores in new communities, so that we can reach even more people – and we are so excited to introduce the communities of Stanthorpe and Warwick to our new concept K hub stores in early 2021.

“Think of it as Kmart experience…a little closer to home

“Now things may look a little different to what you’d expect from a Kmart today.

“We’re giving the store a ‘light touch’ makeover for now, so that we’re not inconveniencing the community with a long store closure.

“Our priority is getting the stores up and running, so that people still have access to the products they need.

“But keep an eye out, we have big plans to evolve the look and feel of this store over time.

“For now – we’ve taken our most popular Kmart products across kids, home and clothing and brought them to life in a new way.

“A curated collection inspired for a smaller format store, with bigger convenience in mind.

“Our K hub customers will have the ability to shop Kmart and Target’s full product range online and have items delivered straight to their door – or they’ll be able to visit the team in store to collect items, with no additional shipping cost.

“We’ll be extending this service later in the year to include our friends at Catch… so think of K hub as your one-stop-shop for all your favourite Kmart, Target and Catch products.”