TK Maxx opens at Forest Hill Chase Shopping Centre in place of old Big W store

Hundreds queued up this morning outside the first TK Maxx store to open in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, with earlybird shoppers sharing what they liked best about the new retail hotspot.

Bargain-hunters rushed to get the first look inside the Forest Hill TK Maxx store.

A crowd of shoppers eagerly gathered inside Forest Hill Chase as TX Maxx officially opened its doors.

Bargain hunters lined up before 9am to be the first to check out the new store, which has taken over Big W’s former home on level two of the Canterbury Rd shopping centre.

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The 2000sq m space is the global discount retailer’s 10th Melbourne outlet, but the first for the eastern suburbs.

When doors opened customers excitedly rushed around the shop floor, with several saying how nice it was to have somewhere in the area “to just browse”.

Emotions even ran high among staff, with the store’s manager teary as shoppers poured into the store. “It’s tears of joy,” she said.

“We’re really, really excited.”

“We’ve actually got a massive turnout, I didn’t expect it to be so popular.”

She said staff and shoppers at the centre had been anticipating the store opening for some time.

“As you walk around the centre, the excitement has been building,” she said.

“We’re the first in the area.”

TK Maxx has opened a 2000sq m store in Forest Hill.

The store is on level two of Forest Hill Chase.

AVP Marketing’s Tony Dunseath said the company was thrilled to have opened the store at Forest Hill.

The US shopping giant aims to offer “big brands at small prices”, stocking 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 Forest Hill store will be open from 9am to 5.30pm Monday to Wednesday, from 9am to 9pm on Thursday and Friday, and from 9am to 5pm on Saturday.

On Sundays and public holidays the store will be open from 10am to 5pm.

Before it opened, shoppers had to travel to either the Broadmeadows, Craigieburn, Dandenong, Docklands, Fountain Gate, Frankston, Heidelberg, Moorabbin or Northland stores.