New megastore to move into former Rebel Sport building

The new store is expected to open in August and will employ 20 to 25 people.

The former Rebel Sport store on Queen Elizabeth Dr building has been leased.

Silly Solly’s will soon expand to its largest store in Rockhampton with the discount retailer taking over the lease at the former Rebel Sport site on Queen Elizabeth Drive.

The 759 sqm warehouse building has been vacant since June 2020 when Rebel Sport moved to Stockland Rockhampton.

The lease deal has been in the works for several months and was done by Knight Frank Rockhampton’s Neale Crow.

The Rockhampton expansion is among 12 stores Silly Solly’s is opening before Christmas.

The company, which operates off a ‘nothing over $5’ model, plans to open new stores in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide.

Silly Solly’s hopes to reach 40 stores by the end of the year and 100 stores in the next three years.

Rockhampton’s new store will create 20 to 25 jobs.

Waiting on a shipment of fixtures for the store fit-out, the store is expected to be open around August.

“It was our first opportunity to put a mega store in Rockhampton,” company spokesman Solly Stanton said.

“That’s the whole reason we are taking the bigger sites, we have outgrown the current sites.

“Our business model is resilient, our affordable essentials are appealing, our momentum is strong.

“It’s a big win for Queensland and Rockhampton.”

The brand’s existing East Street store will continue to operate as normal.

“We have a lot of regulars customers down there, we are going to keep it as a service shop for them,” Mr Stanton said.

The company only restarted three years ago and is not letting the Covid pandemic get in the way of its nationwide expansion plans.

“Silly Solly’s has excelled in a bricks and mortar retail environment of extreme uncertainty,” Mr Stanton said.

“We have built a trusted reputation among our customers, 10,000 products nothing over $5 under one roof, making shopping great again.

“With customers saving money and living better, you cannot be all things to all people.

“We know our customers and give them what they want at the price they want to pay.

“It was a massive challenge but Silly Solly’s responded to consumer demand for new ranges of products during COVID with a huge everyday focus on essentials items.”

Originally published as New megastore to move into former Rebel Sport building