Spotlight Celebrates 50 Years of Retail

Spotlight’s 50th birthday milestone is a unique story of family, leadership, and innovation. What started as a small fabric stall at the Queen Victoria Markets has grown into an international network of stores under the Spotlight Group.

It was 50 years ago that the late Ruben Fried and his wife, Vivienne, opened their first store on Glenferrie Road in Malvern, joined by his brother Morry Fraid a few years later.

With a passion for fabrics and a commitment to providing a diverse selection under one roof, the family began expanding and opening stores all over the country.

From those humble beginnings to now more than 300 big box stores across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Malaysia; including retail brands under the Spotlight Group Banner – Anaconda, Mountain Designs and Harris Scarfe; and 12,000 team members.

“Spotlight started as a dream my parents had as a way to help give back to their local community.

“Today, I’m proud to be able to keep that dream alive while ensuring Spotlight moves with the times. The key to our success is being nimble, being able to have a focus on the frontline and, most importantly, on our customers, and adapting wherever needed.

“We know the shopping habi’ts of our customers are forever changing, and as always, we have adapted and evolved with our customers’ needs, but at the same time, we’ve stayed true to our customer promise of bargains galore.

“It’s been an impressive feat and to have achieved this has meant commitment from every team member to showcase their passion for the brand and the business, which has been an effective approach for us for the past 50 years and will stand us in good stead for the next 50 years as well.

“Our customers are at the heart of our business and helping those in local communities is integral to us. To mark the anniversary of 50 years of Spotlight, we announced a $50,000 giveaway in New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia & Singapore.

“We wanted to give lucky customers across our store locations the chance to win so that they can continue to create and decorate and enjoy the things they love, whether it be crafts and design, or transforming a new home with a helping hand from Spotlight.”