While the "hypermarket" as an idea is not new (Carrefour opened the first hypermarket in 1963 near Paris), the reality is that they are becoming a new and regular facet across the Australian landscape. In essence, the idea of a hypermarket is very simple - a combination supermarket and department store, that gives consumers everything they need under the one roof.
This idea is backed up in reality, with the Deloitte Global Powers of Retailing 2013 report featuring seven of the top twenty-five retailers of 2011 having "hypermarket" as their dominant operational format. These businesses now operate internationally, with Carrefour leading the number of countries of operation with a whopping 33.
While hypermarkets can trace their roots to Europe, and this is where they traditionally excel, we have seen the inception of these stores throughout Asia and the Americas, and we are seeing them appear now across Australia.
The forerunner in the Australian marketplace was Aldi, which opened its first store in Australia in 2001. Now with over 200 store nationwide, this goes to show that the hypermarket is a viable option within our marketplace. The chapter in this story is taken by Coles, who have now launched Pick'n Pay hypermarket stores in Queensland and Victoria, offering home electronics as well as their own clothing line (Mix Apparel).
With the rise of the hypermarket in the Australian landscape, the question to ask is what does this mean for the traditional supermarket? Looking forward we are seeing a more integrated shopping experience being offered by supermarket retailers with the advent of smart carts, in-store wifi, and in-store mobile shopping. Could the hypermarket style galvanize the Australian consumer landscape and create a retailing renaissance?
