Welcome and Unwrapping Industry Insights with Zac Fried

July 23, 2019

It is my pleasure to welcome you to Unwrap: Large Format Retail, the one-stop shop and knowledge hub for all things big box.

Unwrap is a dedicated, reliable source of information for and about Large Format Retail in Australia. It is the first port of call for industry news.

The Australian Large Format Retail sector is a relatively new form of retail with its roots being established in the 1970s. The industry had a traditional homemaker focus and were previously represented in traditional department stores. But today, Large Format Retail includes brands from a range of specialties including lighting, automotive parts, hardware, electronics, furniture, sporting goods, pet supplies and outdoor recreational equipment. Large Format Retail has grown exponentially over the years and now comprises approximately 35% of all retail floor space in Australia.

Unwrap is an opportunity to keep up to date with all the latest industry-related stories, research, economic and legal advice and government announcements. Hear from key decision-makers and get involved in the conversation. Unwrap provides a voice for the Large Format Retail industry.

Our subscribers and contributors include CEOs and Directors from some of the largest local and international retail brands, property developers and investors, planners and architects, real estate companies, fund and asset managers and other professional services including legal personnel, consultants and insurance brokers.

2019 also marks the 20^th anniversary of the Large Format Retail Association. Our first Forum was held on 9 November 1999 in Melbourne. The Bulky Goods Retailers Association was incorporated on 13 December 2000 and in October 2013 we became to be known as the Large Format Retail Association.

Today the LFRA is regarded as the national peak body representing the interests of Large Format Retailers, investors, owners, developers and service suppliers in Australia. Our membership consists of some of the nation’s largest and most respected brands and we belong to the fastest growing sector of the retail industry in the country.

With the launch of Unwrap, what a timely way to celebrate and showcase the success of Large Format Retail.

The retail landscape has changed tremendously within these 20 years and will continue to do so. The way customers interact with brands and products today is not the same as what we knew growing up.

Our sector is growing from strength to strength, always innovating and always finding new ways to improve the customer experience. Now, Large Format Retail comprises of a massive 25.1% or $81.7 billion per annum of all Retail sales in Australia as of the financial year ending 30 June 2019.

I hope you will find Unwrap informative, interesting and encourages you to think outside the (big) box.

Zac Fried is the Executive Deputy Chairman of Spotlight Group Holdings which include iconic retail brands such as Spotlight, Anaconda and Mountain Designs. SGH employs over 7,500 people and has operations throughout Australia and New Zealand and Asia.

Since 2016, Zac has been the President of the Large Format Retail Association (LFRA). LFRA is the national peak industry association for Australia’s Large Format Retail sector, otherwise known as ‘Big Box’ retail. The LFRA advocates for clarity, consistency and certainty of legislation and regulations that interface with the Large Format Retail sector particularly in the areas of planning, zoning, technological and environmental factors and initiatives, whilst always keeping the focus on the customer.

Members of the LFRA comprise not only of Large Format retailers, but the owners, developers, investors and service suppliers of the sector. The breadth and depth of the LFRA’s membership enables it to advocate as a whole and united voice.