American discount supermarket giant Costco wants to open a shop in Epping – its third in the state.
Costco Australia’s managing director Patrick Noone confirmed the company was considering an Epping outlet.
He said the company was going through the planning application
stage and declined to comment further. Costco, which opened its first
outlet in Docklands, is currently building a Ringwood shop, where it has
been swamped with job applications.
Thomastown Traders Association spokeswoman Cassandra Kemp said
huge developments were “always intimidating” to small retailers. “But
Thomastown traders have a niche market and a relationship with their
customers which can’t be replaced by huge, ‘impersonal’ places,” she
said.
Whittlesea council is considering a proposal for a freestanding,
single-storey Costco outlet with a total floor area of 13,745 square
metres on vacant land. The application was made by the landowner,
Bevendale Pty Ltd.
The site at 20 Jovic Road would include a Costco petrol station,
tyre outlet and bottle shop. Submissions can be made to the council,
which will not decide on the application before August 30.
In other retail news, Coles has secured a supermarket site in the
Aurora estate in North Epping and would deliver the first stage of the
Aurora town centre, according to the developer, Places Victoria’s chief
executive officer, Peter Seamer.
“On completion, the Aurora town centre is planned to comprise supermarkets, potentially a discount department store, a fuel outlet, specialty shops, cafés, restaurants, offices and car parking,” Mr Seamer said.
