Silly Solly’s plans big expansion despite retail downturn

Discount chain Silly Solly’s - which uses the slogan ‘Nothing over $5’ - is planning a mega expansion across Queensland creating 200 new jobs. Here’s where the likely new stores will go.

DISCOUNT chain Silly Solly’s is planning to open 12 new stores in 2020, creating more than 200 jobs as its defies a brutal downturn in the retail sector.

The chain, which uses the slogan “Nothing Over $5”, has been on an aggressive expansion path after relaunching in 2017.

Silly Solly’s, which sells everything from bedding to chocolates from its network of 17 stores, was founded 30 years ago by Solly Stanton, who remains a shareholder and advisor.

The company recently opened a 2000 square metre store on the Gold Coast along with outlets at Morayfield and Toowoomba.

Once a dominant player in the discount variety arena, Silly Solly’s sold out to the Warehouse Group in 2000 and eventually became a virtual retail memory.

However, the brand was reborn in 2017 at Rockhampton and Mr Stanton said the company was now on a mission to “make shopping great again”.

Silly Solly's Morayfield branch manager Toni-Lee Blight gets ready for opening day. Photo: Luke Simmonds.

Mr Stanton said the chain was taking advantage of straightened economic times with price-conscious consumers seeking value for money.

He said since relaunching Silly Solly’s two years more than 500 jobs had been created with another 200 likely with the planned store openings in 2020.

“The old saying that the poor need a bargain and the rich want a bargain rings true,” he said. “We have 10,000 products with nothing over $5.”

INSIDE SILLY SOLLY’S MORAYFIELD

Silly Solly's wall of flowers.

The locations of the 12 new stores was yet to be determined but the majority would be located in the Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and Wide Bay areas.

Potential sites in New South Wales and Victoria also was being examined.

“They want us in Sydney,” said Mr Stanton.

“In Queensland, we are going back to regional towns and coal towns where they have nothing.”

Silly Solly’s operated under a licensee model, rather than as a franchise, which means store owners make all the major decisions about shop location and other operational issues.

Mr Stanton said the power of the Silly Solly’s brand meant that sometimes landlords would contribute to the establishment costs of a new store.

Mass boxes of fairy lights at Silly Solly’s.

“They want us so occasionally they will make a contribution to the fit-out and stuff like that,” he said. ‘It’s definitely more attractive to people in terms of startup costs than a franchise.”

Mr Stanton said that one of the strengths of the Silly Solly brand was that it did not sell online.

“You go into David Jones and people have got their phones out to take a photo and to compare it to the price online,” he said. “Our customers don’t do that.”

Silly Solly's at Morayfield.