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Officeworks

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Officeworks
Company typeOffice stationery store
IndustryRetail
Founded1994
HeadquartersEast Bentleigh, Victoria
Key people
Joe Barberis, Managing Director
ProductsOffice Stores
RevenueIncrease AUD$ 1 billion
Number of employees
4,000
Websitehttp://www.officeworks.com.au http://www.officeworksretail.com.au/

Officeworks is an Australian office supplies store, which was established in the early 1990s by Coles Myer. Officeworks is based on the US chain Office Depot, using their concept as a one stop office store.

Officeworks' popularity and profits have increased remarkably over time, with new stores continuing to open across Australia. Most Officeworks stores feature the following departments:

Officeworks also has an internet and phone sales division known as Officeworks Business Direct. This division runs as its own supply warehouse and stocks a different range than that of the stores on a delivery only basis - focusing more on the day-to-day needs of medium to large businesses as opposed to the small business and general consumers that shop in store.

History

The first Officeworks opened in the inner city suburb of Richmond in Melbourne in June 1994. Its mid-1990s TV commercials were popular, including the Taking Care of Business theme and the Back to School Savings commercial. In 1994-1995 Officeworks opened more stores throughout Melbourne in South Melbourne, Fitzroy, Chadstone and Ringwood. Officeworks now has 95 stores in every Australian state except for the Northern Territory. In late 2006 the business plans to open its 100th store in South Yarra, coincidently very close to the first store in Richmond.

Corporate History

Viking Australia (a subsidiary of Office Depot) was taken over by Officeworks/Coles Myer in December 2002. Viking Office Products was merged with Officeworks Direct to form Officeworks Business Direct. Harris Technology was purchased by Officeworks/Coles Myer in 1999 and now acts as a subsidiary of the supplies giant. Many of the larger Officeworks stores use Harris Technology as a supplier for products that they do not carry in-store.