Ruqayyah Snyder
As of April 2025, there are 179 Big W stores in Australia, with New South Wales having the highest number of stores at 59. Woolworths, the owner of Big W, announced in 2019 that it would be closing approximately 30 of its Big W stores over a three-year period, which represented about 16% of all Big W stores at that time. Despite the planned closures, Big W remains a popular discount department store chain in Australia, offering a wide range of products for families.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Big W stores in Australia | 179 (as of April 2025) or 186 |
| Number of staff across Australia, Hong Kong and Bangladesh | 18,000 |
| Number of stores planned to be closed by Woolworths | 30 |
| Number of distribution centres planned to be closed in Queensland and South Australia | 2 |
| State with the most number of Big W stores | New South Wales (59) |
| Year of the first Big W store opening | 1964 |
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What You'll Learn
Woolworths owns Big W
Woolworths Group Limited, an Australian multinational retail and finance company, owns Big W. Woolworths opened its first Big W department store in the 1960s, but the brand was short-lived and was discontinued. However, in the 1970s, the brand was revived as a discount department store, which has become a trusted name in Australian households.
Big W has a strong presence in Australia, with around 179 to 186 stores across the country, as of 2025. New South Wales has the highest number of Big W stores, with about 59 locations.
Woolworths has faced challenges with its Big W stores in recent years, with plans announced in 2019 to close approximately 30 stores over a three-year period. This decision was made due to losses at the budget department store chain and the challenging retail environment. The closures were expected to impact the company's profits and cost approximately $370 million. Woolworths' CEO, Brad Banducci, stated that the goal was to boost the profitability of the remaining Big W stores and did not rule out selling the Big W brand.
Despite the challenges, Big W has shown signs of recovery, with improved sales and comparable sales growth in the third quarter of 2019. Woolworths has also launched initiatives like MarketPlus in 2023 to enhance the business, providing a platform for businesses to sell products across multiple marketplaces, including Big W Market.
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Big W has 18,000 staff
Big W, Australia's first discount department store, has 18,000 staff across Australia, Hong Kong, and Bangladesh. Woolworths, which owns Big W, announced in 2019 that it would close approximately 30 of its Big W stores over the next three years, along with two distribution centres in regional Queensland and South Australia. The store closures were expected to cost Woolworths about $370 million and impact the company's 2019 profit results.
Big W has a long history in Australia, with the first store opening in Newcastle, New South Wales, in 1964. Over the years, it has expanded to various locations across the country, with a presence in almost every state and territory. As of 2025, there are 179 Big W stores in Australia, with New South Wales having the highest number of stores at 59, accounting for about 33% of all Big W locations in the country.
The retailer offers a wide range of products, including women's, men's, and children's wear, as well as homewares, electronics, toys, and books. It has become a trusted and popular one-stop shop for Australian families, known for its low prices and convenient services such as free same-day pickup and home delivery. Big W also gives back to the community through initiatives like the Free Books for Kids program and donations to those in need through its partnership with Good360.
While the exact number of staff per store is not publicly available, the total headcount of 18,000 employees across Australia, Hong Kong, and Bangladesh suggests that each store employs a significant number of people. The large staff count reflects the scale of Big W's operations and underscores the importance of its workforce in delivering its retail services to customers nationwide.
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Big W opened its first store in 1964
Big W, Australia's first discount department store, opened its first store in 1964 on the outskirts of Newcastle in New South Wales. The brand was developed by Woolworths Limited (now Woolworths Group Limited) to provide Australian shoppers with a wide range of general merchandise products in a one-stop-shop format. The "W" in Big W stands for Woolworths, reflecting the complementary relationship between the two brands.
The first Big W store was the beginning of what would become a trusted household name in Australia. Over the years, Big W expanded its presence across the country, offering a range of products including women's, men's, and children's wear, as well as homewares, electronics, toys, and books.
At the time of writing, there are varying reports on the exact number of Big W stores currently operating in Australia. One source states that there are 176 stores, while another mentions 179 locations as of April 2025. A third source claims there are 186 stores across Australia.
Big W has undergone several changes since its inception, including the introduction of self-checkouts in 2003, the launch of party stores in 2014, and the recent opening of a small-format store in Town Hall, Sydney, in 2022. Despite some store closures in recent years, Big W continues to be a significant retailer in Australia, serving the needs of customers nationwide.
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New South Wales has the most stores
As of April 2025, there were 179 Big W stores in Australia, with New South Wales boasting the most stores at 59, or about 33% of all Big W outlets in the country. This is a decrease from 2019, when there were 183 Big W stores across Australia. Woolworths, which owns Big W, announced that year that it would be closing 30 stores, or 16% of its Big W locations, over the next three years.
The abundance of Big W stores in New South Wales is not surprising given that the retailer opened its first store in the state. Specifically, the first Big W store was opened on the outskirts of Newcastle, New South Wales, in 1964.
Big W has been a trusted retailer for Australian households for generations. It offers a wide range of products, including women's, men's, and children's wear, as well as homewares, electronics, toys, and books.
The retailer's large number of stores in New South Wales ensures that it can conveniently serve its loyal customers in the state. Big W's presence in the state is so significant that there is a Big W store for every 138,525 people in New South Wales.
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Big W has 179-186 stores in Australia
Big W, a division of Woolworths Group Limited, is Australia's first discount department store. It opened its first store in 1964 on the outskirts of Newcastle in New South Wales and has since expanded to numerous locations across the country.
As of April 2025, there were 179 Big W stores in Australia, with New South Wales having the highest number of stores at 59, accounting for approximately 33% of all Big W locations in the country. However, some sources suggest that there could be up to 186 Big W stores in Australia.
In 2019, Woolworths announced plans to close approximately 30 of its Big W stores over a three-year period, which represented about 16% of all Big W stores at that time. The decision was made due to financial losses and tough competition in the retail industry, with the goal of improving the profitability of the remaining stores. The closures were expected to impact the company's profits and there was uncertainty regarding the redeployment of affected workers.
Big W has a strong presence in Australia, offering a wide range of products, including women's, men's, and children's wear, as well as homewares, electronics, toys, and books. It caters to the needs of growing families and provides convenient services such as free same-day pickup and home delivery.
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Frequently asked questions
As of April 2025, there are 179 Big W stores in Australia. However, some sources state that there are 353 Big W store locations in Australia.
Big W has 18,000 staff across Australia, Hong Kong, and Bangladesh.
Woolworths owns Big W.
