Kmart Australia has opened its latest store today in St Marys in Sydney’s outer west, bringing its national footprint to over 320 stores. The new store is expected to increase local jobs with almost 200 new roles.
Kmart AU/NZ CEO John Gualtieri joined the store opening ceremony today alongside the Deputy Premier of New South Wales and Minister for Western Sydney Prue Car and local Councillor Todd Carney.
St Marys Welcomes Kmart: A Boost for the Local Economy
According to Kmart, 164,000 locals reside in the catchment, with a high proportion of younger lower-income families earning a lower-than-average household income of $76,800 compared with Sydney’s average of $113,800.
Gualtieri said it’s families like these which will benefit from the new store.
“We know that with the cost-of-living crisis, this commitment has never been more important for our customers,” Gualtieri said.
“For many of our customers, every dollar saved when they shop with us means an extra dollar on mortgage or towards bills. It’s not just the jobs that we create that are important when we open a store, it’s also the access we are providing to great quality products at the lowest prices to make life that little bit easier that matters.”
The St Marys town centre is set to gain a major boost with a new metro train line under construction that will connect the town to the upcoming Western Sydney Airport, expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
Kmart's Commitment to Affordability and Job Creation
The new transport hub will be a key gateway, improving connections across Greater Western Sydney.
Deputy Premier Car welcomed the opening of the store and the new employment opportunities that come with it.
“Having the suburb’s first Kmart store opening today is a much-needed addition to the town centre,” Car said.
“Not only is this great for local families, but the opening of this store will bring in almost 200 new jobs to the area. A majority of the store’s staff are under 21 years old, and I am pleased that our young people are now able to kick off their work experience right here in our community.”
The St Marys store will also be the latest ‘Deadly Store’ for Kmart – a network of over 100 stores that are situated in areas with high representation of First Nations peoples.
A 'Deadly Store' for Cultural Awareness and Indigenous Employment
According to Kmart, these designated stores increase cultural awareness and connection as well as Indigenous employment outcomes.
Kmart and its sister retailer Target Australia have a 5 per cent Indigenous representation in its workforce, above the national representation across the total population of 3.8 per cent.
Despite its relative proximity to other Kmart stores, Store Manager Jonathan Guiao said that the new St Marys location will be an extremely significant addition for the community.
“[The new store] will mean such a huge deal for the customers here in this community,” he said.
“Given the certain circumstances that we have in the world with [the high cost-of -living], it’s great to have a store right in between Penrith and Mount Druitt, so the locals can shop here instead.”
John Gualtieri, Chief Executive Officer for Kmart Australia and New Zealand, agreed with the sentiment, noting the high proportion of younger, lower-income families in the area.
Kmart St Marys: A Hub of Affordability for Local Families
“Our entire proposition for Kmart is to focus on making everyday living affordable for Australians through access to great quality products that they can afford. We know that with the cost-of-living crisis, this commitment has never been more important for our customers,” he said.
“For many of our customers, every dollar saved when they shop with us means an extra dollar on mortgage or towards bills. It’s not just the jobs that we create that are important when we open a store, it’s also the access we are providing to great quality products at the lowest prices to make life that little bit easier that matters.”
Kmart St Marys was officially opened by Gualtieri and Deputy Premier Prue Car this morning.
Car welcomed the opening of the store, as well as the hundreds of new employment opportunities.
“Having the suburb’s first Kmart store opening today is a much-needed addition to the town centre,” she said.
“Not only is this great for local families, but the opening of this store will bring in almost 200 new jobs to the area. A majority of the store’s staff are under 21-years-old, and I am pleased that our young people are now able to kick off their work experience right here in our community.”
The store is also Kmart’s latest Deadly Store, designed to increase cultural awareness and provide a vehicle for delivering dedicated Indigenous employment outcomes, given the high representation of First Nations people in the area.
The store also holds a collection designed by Kyralee Shields – a local Indigenous artist.
A Celebration of Community and Affordability
With festivities set to continue over the weekend, Guiao said he’s hoping to see plenty of locals come out to see the new space for themselves.
“We’re anticipating huge crowds, especially with the centre not having retail like this for three years,” he said.
“The local buzz right now is booming, so we can’t wait!”
Cassidy Pearce is a news and entertainment journalist with The Western Weekender. A graduate of the University of Technology Sydney, she has previously worked with Good Morning Macarthur and joined the Weekender in 2022.
