Silly Solly’s megastore Rockhampton grand opening

Iconic Rockhampton-born brand is opening six new stores across Australia. Find out where.

Bargain hunters will have a new store to shop at from Thursday, with a Silly Solly’s megastore throwing open its doors in Rockhampton as part of a bold plan to expand the chain to 100 stores nationally.

The Silly Solly’s brand, which operates on a model of ‘Nothing over $5’, has been making a steady resurgence throughout Australia in recent years, after disappearing from the retail scene for nearly two decades when the chain was sold to the Warehouse Group in a multi-million-dollar deal.

Solly Stanton, the Rockhampton businessman originally behind the chain name, linked up with local business owner Brad Walton to relaunch the house-hold name back in October 2017 with huge success.

The chain has opened more than 20 stores across the country in the four years since, with the new Rockhampton megastore the latest addition in an expansion plan to reach 100 stores nationally.

New stores are also planned to open soon at Deception Bay, Brendale, Goulburn, Box Hill and Craigieburn.

“We are discount store that aims at low prices,” Rockhampton area manager Tanya Sutton said.

“Lots of people are struggling at the moment and that is our aim, to supply some really good, branded products for a low price.”

The new Rockhampton store is located at the former Rebel Sport site on Queen Elizabeth Drive in Berserker - a site with more than 758 sqm of floor space. Rebel Sport moved to Stockland in June 2020.

“We do have a much bigger range in our new store than our other stores in Central Queensland,” Ms Sutton said.

“We’ve been able to get our hands on a lot more product with our space we have available to us now.”

There are already 20 staff employed at the new store, but they are still looking to add more.

“We had lots of people applying, suitability has been a little of an issue but we are giving everyone a go, I know there is a lot of people unemployed at the moment, whether they have experience or not,” Ms Sutton said.

In the short time The Morning Bulletin was at the store the day before the grand opening, many cars pulled up with hopeful customers who soon realised they had to wait another 24 hours to go bargain hunting.

The staff are prepared to be run off their feet as soon as the doors open to the public.

“Day one is always quite busy and day two and three just continues on getting busier and busier so the weekend will be quite busy,” Ms Sutton said.

“We have a lot of staff on tomorrow and through to the weekend.”

“We have lots of products we may not get back in again because we are doing them initially for opening.

“We will always be looking at new products coming in.

“There will always be something new every time a customer comes in the door.”

Based in Rockhampton, Ms Sutton is the area manager for the region and also looks after three stores in Brisbane.

“I started off as a team member, went to store manager and now area manager,” she said.

The Silly Solly’s management team in Australia is led by co-managing directors, Brad Walton and Steve Watchman and head of operations for Australia, Tim Gambrill.

The company aims to have 100 stores across Australia in the next few years – not letting COVID-19 get in its way.

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

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

“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.”

AUSTRALIAN STORE LOCATIONS

QUEENSLAND:

Rockhampton, Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Ingham, Ayr, Gladstone, Kawana, Logan, Morayfield, Airlie Beach, Robina, Emerald, Toowoomba, Warwick, Bundaberg, Hervey Bay, Yamanto,

Maroochydore, Deception Bay – coming soon, Brendale – coming soon.

NEW SOUTH WALES:

Prospect, Lismore, Bathurst, Goulburn – coming soon.

VICTORIA:

Shepparton, Swan Hill, Box Hill – coming soon, Craigieburn – coming soon.