RetailBiz Round Up for Monday 17 March 2014 – with Patrick Avenell
Today is online retailer Kogan.com.au’s eighth birthday. The retailer celebrated this milestone by revealing that it is essentially the greatest business in Australian history.
“While we’re celebrating how far we’ve come, the reality is that we’re just getting started. There have been many sleepless nights in the last eight years, and I’m sure there will be many more,” said founder Ruslan Kogan.
“Our product range has expanded from a few televisions, to hundreds of Kogan’s own designed and manufactured products ranging from consumer electronics to kitchen and household appliances, garden and power tools, fitness equipment, and many thousands of products from other leading brands.”
The media release celebrating this achievement included a list of all charities Kogan supports.
“The growth of Kogan has enabled it to make hundreds of donations to charitable causes, including the Make-A-Wish foundation, Victorian Bushfire Appeal, Queensland Flood Relief Appeal, Ronald McDonald House, The Children’s Hospital, and many more. It has also supported the technology community through donations to the gOS project, Wikipedia, Python developer’s conference, Django Software Foundation, and more. Ruslan Kogan has dedicated over 1000 hours speaking at schools, universities and community groups to inspire Australia's youth to take the next step to pursue their dreams.”
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Ooh! Media today announced it had won the advertising rights to the new The Emporium shopping complex in Melbourne.
“The contract includes 30 digital advertising panels centre-wide with a number capable of full mobile interactivity, plus Wi-Fi connectivity and other digital and experiential opportunities and also a spectacular 347 square metre external digital screen on two sides of the complex’s exterior,” the company said.
Online retailer The Iconic has launched 3-hour delivery in Melbourne as part of its sponsorship of the Melbourne Fashion Festival. “The Iconic continues to redefine the way Australians shop and with this latest partnership, we have again demonstrated that we are committed to providing exceptional brands to our customers through market leading service,” said managing director Adam Jacobs.
Muffin Break opened a new store in Mudgee today. “The store will open at 5am Monday – Saturday (later on Sunday mornings) to cater to the early start time for workers and will offer freshly-prepared ready-to-go ‘crib packs’ that can sustain miners during a long day in the field,” said a spokesperson. “The packs will be freshly made each morning in-store and will each include a muffin, muesli bar, seasonal fruit and soft drink plus a choice of wrap, tartlet, pie, sausage roll and dessert.”
Eagle Boys has launched its new limited edition Southern Cajun Chicken range. “We’re really excited about the Cajun Chicken range. The tenderloins and drums are extremely tasty and I know through offering these items, we are reaching more people who want something to complement their favourite pizza orders, or are craving a lighter option,” said ‘menu guru’ Ellen Gault.
The Good Guys completed a successful weekend sponsoring the Cooking Stage at the Mandurah Crab Fest, around 70 kilometres south of Perth. The local Good Guy is Paul Turnor, owner of the Mandurah outlet on Pinjarra Road. “It went very well,” he said. “It was very popular — people loved the cooking stage — they were hanging off the rafters. We will definitely be back next year.”
Image of the Day
A new book called Newtown Shopkeepers is being launched to celebrate the unusual retailers that have plied their trade up and down King Street. Photographs in the book are by Nic Bezzina and include this one of Reactor Rubberwear:
Quote of the Day
“Of course it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. Despite launching a telecommunications offering that Australians loved and flocked to in droves, we couldn’t help being muscled out of that market by industry heavyweights pulling strings outside of our control.”
Let’s enjoy a bit more of Kogan’s amazing thoughts on the past eight years.