Temple & Webster opens first outlet store in Melbourne

Temple&WebsterOnline furniture and homewares retailer, Temple & Webster, has launched its first outlet store in Richmond, Melbourne, as the brand adds “offline” to its homewares and interiors services.

The store is located at the site of the former Milan Direct showroom in Melbourne and offers discounts of up to 70 per cent on its furniture, homewares and decor pieces. The retailer stated most of the pieces that would be available at the store will be one-offs with new stock arriving weekly, comprising furniture seconds, excess stocks and discontinued items.

According to Temple & Webster, the move to introduce an offline element supports the company’s broader strategy to become the first destination Australian shoppers turn to when shopping for all their furniture and homeware needs.

Mark Coulter, Temple & Webster CEO, said he believes the outlet store’s launch is a natural progression for the company.

“Temple & Webster’s vision is to be the first place Australians turn to when shopping for their home,” he said. “To do that, we need to think about the best ways to offer our customers choice, not only in range but also how they shop.”

Coulter said the outlet store is a great opportunity for them to experiment with their offline offering.

Coulter recently told Inside Retail Weekly that the clearance outlet will be useful for excess stock and returns, and “give us time to do a proper showroom.”

“I don’t think consumers think in channels. Customers think in terms to needs…I think consumers will work out where they go based on their needs,” he said.

“Our showroom’s strategy is important because if we really want to have the vision of being the first place Australians turn to when shopping for their homes, you have to be where customers are. I don’t think we need to have lots and lots of showrooms, because our main business will always be online. We don’t need lots and lots of showrooms to sell.” 

“My vision is really to have one or two flagship stores by major metro area and with that, there’ll be a place where you can touch and feel, we’ll have design services and you can interact with our on-staff stylist and design help.”

Quotes are from an interview that first featured in a recent edition of our premium publication, Inside Retail Weekly magazine.

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