By Violet Li
International retailer Panda Mart is opening its first store Australia-wide in Cranbourne on Thursday 27 February.
The warehouse-sized store is located at the ex-Masters site at the Cranbourne Homemaker Centre along the South Gippsland Highway. The site had been sitting empty since 2016 before the retailer secured a lease late last year.
The bargain retailer started its business first in South Africa more than a decade ago and expanded the global empire over the years into South America, the US, and New Zealand.
The Australian leg will first see two big stories opening this year in Cranbourne and Preston.
Owner John Chen said the Cranbourne store features homewares, offering a variety of 28,000 products that cater to the needs of the local market.
A walk around the store will expose the community to row after row of goods from kitchenware, furniture, and cleaning supplies to home decoration and outdoor sports equipment.
When asked how the store competes with Australia’s major homewares players, such as Kmart, Mr Chen said Panda Mart provides customers with more price options.
“For example, we sell a variety type of cups, like dozens of options. Prices range from low to high. Some offer great value for money. Some are justified by quality,” he said.
Mr Chen also said the store would gradually expand the product range to over 50,000 varieties to give customers a wider selection.
Speaking of why Cranbourne was selected as the retailer’s first destination in Australia, Mr Chen noted that the area had been developing quickly with a growing influx of immigrants and a high demand for shopping. The ample supply of parking and the easily accessible location were also attractive factors.
Panda Mart Cranbourne will offer a 20 per cent discount in the first four days of opening, from Thursday 27 February to Sunday 2 March.
It will open seven days a week from 9am to 8pm.
A huge panda logo will be painted outside of the warehouse in the coming weeks.
