Harris Scarfe to open new Rockdale, Sydney store in 2021

Once beset by financial woes and on the brink of total collapse, one of Australia’s iconic department store brands is returning to Sydney for the first time in years.

Australian retailer Harris Scarfe is returning to Sydney after collapsing into voluntary administration in 2019.

Revived department store Harris Scarfe is returning to Sydney after collapsing into voluntary administration following 170 years in Australia.

The St George Shire Standard can exclusively reveal the South Australian department store will revive its Sydney presence with a new store in Rockdale on March 18 this year.

Spotlight Group bought the beleaguered major retailer for $50 million in April 2020, five months after the brand went into voluntary administration in December 2019.

Harris Scarfe’s operations general manager Rebecca Peterson said the new 2800 sqm store inside the Spotlight Rockdale building on the Princes Hwy was the first step of a major expansion back into NSW and Queensland.

A look inside Harris Scarfe’s new-look store in Frankston, which will be emulated at the retailer’s Rockdale location.

“It’s very exciting,” Ms Peterson said.

“This will be the first Sydney store in a while and we’ve held onto loyal customers online who will now be able to come back and have the in-store experience again.”

The department store will continue to focus on homewares, along with its rebooted apparel range which will include activewear designed by Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer Giaan Rooney.

“It’s a fresh new look, the Rockdale customers will get a new look and layout and the opening will also coincide with our new apparel launch,” Ms Peterson said.

“We’ve got some designer brands coming back including Jane Lamerton and Stella as well as the Giaan Rooney athleisure wear.”

The new-look apparel offering at Harris Scarfe.

Residents moving into Rockdale as part of the suburb’s high rise transformation will also benefit from Harris Scarfe’s extensive homewares range.

“Whether it’s cookware, manchester, decor, kitchen wares or tablewares, everything you want for the home you come to us,” Ms Peterson said.

“We are the authority in these spaces – we do high-low really well, and we’ve got great national brands at amazing prices.”

Harris Scarfe traditionally specialises in homewares, manchester and kitchenware.

The store will employ three managers and a permanent team of approximately 50 staff members.

After multiple store closures across NSW, the only remaining stores are in Wagga, Bennets Green, Moruya, Merimbula, Ulladulla and Shellharbour.

The Rockdale store will be the brand’s 47th location across Australia when it opens on March 18.