Kmart Brandon Park: Retailer to shut doors as demolition rumours surface

Two big name brands are about to shut their doors at Brandon Park Shopping Centre with rumours swirling about the future of the complex.

Uncertainty surrounds the future of Brandon Park Shopping Centre with two stores announcing shock closures in a week.

Mystery surrounds the fate of Brandon Park Shopping Centre with several venues announcing they will close by the end of the year.

Kmart staff at Brandon Park Shopping Centre have been told the store will close early next year ater 37 years at the site.

The announcement comes about a year after the Wheelers Hill outlet was converted to a dispatch centre amid a surge in online orders.

A Kmart spokesperson said the store’s lease expired at the site in January next year and would not be renewed.

“We would like to sincerely thank our customers for their ongoing support over the past 37 years,” the spokesperson said.

“We will spend the next few months working through redeployment opportunities for the team, but we’re happy to confirm that all permanent team members will be guaranteed jobs within the Kmart Group network of stores.”

It is the second shop in the centre to announce it will shut up shop this year after staff at Priceline Pharmacy were sent an email telling them the store would be closing.

It has since closed.

Rumours are swirling about the fate of the centre, with some suggesting it could be torn down to make way for a housing development.

It comes after the troubled complex, which has been criticised for its expensive rents and dated decor, was sold for a hefty $135 million in 2019.

One customer said the centre was “a bit dumpy” and lacked an enticing variety of shops.

“Shops are supposed to be open until 9pm on Thursdays and Fridays but almost all of them are closed by about 7pm,” the customer said.

Previously jointly owned by Vicinity Centres and TelstraSuper, the shopping centre was snapped up by Newmark Capital, a syndicate fund run by former Hawthorn AFL player Chris Langford.

A local industry expert at the time told the Leader the 1970s-built complex was struggling to compete with higher profile shopping hubs.

“I don’t see why you’d go to Brandon Park with The Glen and Chadstone so close by, unless you just want to go to the supermarket,” the source said.

Kmart, Priceline, Newmark Capital and Brandon Park centre management have been contacted for comment.