Uniqlo, Costco, Ikea, TK Maxx, Guzman Y Gomez: Where big brands are opening
An American style bar and grill and fried chicken fast food chain are coming to Knox Ozone and the Kmart Burwood shops. Check out the plans.
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The big names in retail and dining have huge expansion plans for Victoria.
From Costco’s plan to open up to three new stores, to Ikea revealing a never- seen before outlet at Highpoint Shopping Centre, check out what’s planned.
TGI Fridays
The American style sports bar and restaurant is coming at Knox Ozone, opposite the new Urban Alley Brewery.
The venue is set to fill the space next to the now closed Lou Lou Bar.
Two new restaurants called CHI-LA Hunan Cuisine and Hawker Devil are also set to open in the Ozone precinct.
Marrybrown
The Malaysian-owned fast food chain, famous for its juicy fried chicken, burgers, and wraps is opening at Burwood One, where the former Commonwealth Bank was.
The shopping precinct, known for being home to the oldest Kmart in Australia, has become an Asian foodie hot spot.
Recent arrivals include China Bar, Chachago “Taiwan’s most famous milk tea,” Discovery Fusion BBQ Buffet, and Colouful Yunnan.
Uniqlo
Pacific Epping has welcomed popular Japanese department store Uniqlo to the centre, which has opened next to Best & Less
Customers looking for a break from shopping can also now enjoy a Middle Eastern feast at Lazeez, which has opened in the Urban Diner.
Alongside these new retailers, there will soon be two new sushi offerings for customers to enjoy, with Kikuchi Sushi set to open in the food court near Aldi, and Pokero Sushi & Bowl to be located in front of Coles.
Pandora will also soon be relocating to a brand-new, refreshed space in the Fashion Mall.
Pacific Epping general manager Andrew Drivas said he was thrilled to welcome these new retailers to the centre.
“We’re excited to welcome Uniqlo, Lazeez, Kikuchi Sushi, and Pokero Sushi & Bowl and to the Pacific Epping family,” Mr Drivas said.
“While it is still too early to confirm the exact timings for the opening of Kikuchi Sushi, Pokero Sushi & Bowl and Pandora’s new location, we look forward to sharing opening dates with our community soon.”
Alongside these five retailers, Mr Drivas also said the centre was excited to soon announce more new retailers that will be moving into the centre in the coming months.
TK Maxx
The US shopping giant that aims to offer “big brands at small prices”, has opened a new store at Waverley Gardens Shopping Centre in Mulgrave.
Located next to On the Phone Repairs stand and Rockmans, the store stocks a collection of labels and brands across its range of products.
It sells fashion for men, women and children, as well as accessories, luggage, beauty, toys, lingerie and homewares.
The new store joins existing TK Maxx outlets in the east at Forest Hill Chase, Westfield Knox, The Glen and Westfield Doncaster.
COSTCO
Bargain hunters in Melbourne’s west are in luck, with Costco set to open a new warehouse in Ardeer.
The proposed development at 740 Ballarat Rd, seeks permission to demolish the existing warehouse and construct a 14,252sq m Costco store with an 18 bowser service station.
Costco Australia managing director Patrick Noone said the company was “excited to share” the new Ardeer site, which will house speciality departments, including an optical centre, hearing aid centre, tyre centre and fuel station. Victoria is home to four Costco stores and two petrol stations in Docklands, Ringwood Moorabbin and Epping.
In June, Mr Noone announced plans to spend as much as $150m to open three new stores in Victoria – identifying Officer, Melbourne’s west and Geelong as potential sites.
Ikea
A new, never before seen Ikea store in Melbourne has opened at Highpoint Shopping Centre.
An Ikea Australia spokesman said the shopping centre would be home to Australia’s first ever Ikea Plan and Order Point.
It is a fraction of the size of the traditional stores, sized between 300 – 500sq m compared to the 28,000sq m of a regular Ikea store.
According to Ikea, the concept is designed to “provide customers with one-to-one advice on how to plan some of the more complex home furnishing products and services Ikea offers, and assistance with placing their order”.
Harris Scarfe
After recently opening new stores in Frankston, Carnegie, Craigieburn, Sunbury and South Morang, the popular retailer plans to open a new outlet in Chirnside Park, part of the new Chirnside Lifestyle Centre.
KFC
KFC recently opened at The Glen food court in Glen Waverley, with a new outlet also unveiled this year in Wollert.
The fast food giant is also coming to Chirnside Park and Frankston.
McDonald’s
The Golden Arches are set to appear soon at new Macca’s stores in Chirnside Park and Healesville.
The restaurant in Chirnside Park will be part of a bigger development planned for the 3.91ha site formerly owned by Kaufland, before the German supermarket giant scrapped its plans to open in Australia.
The Healesville outlet, which has attracted opposition from some in the community, will be built at 17-25 Maroondah Highway.
Karen’s Diner
Known for “badass burgers” and “100 per cent rude staff” Karen’s Diner has opened at Forest Hill Chase Shopping Centre.
It is the second Melbourne restaurant for the chain, joining one on Lygon St which opened earlier this year.
Karen’s also has six other restaurants throughout Australia and three in the UK.
Guzman Y Gomez
The popular Mexican food chain is looking to open a new outlet in Ballarat, after successfully launching new restaurants in Campbellfield, North Melbourne and Pakenham this year.
Stockland Shopping Centre has applied to add an outlet to its footprint in Wendouree which would stay open until 3am six days a week.
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