COLES Myer today confirmed that the 119-year-old Grace Bros brand will officially be no more from the end of next week.
At a press conference outside the retailer’s flagship store in Sydney’s CBD it announced that the Grace Bros brand was being dropped from all stores in NSW and the ACT to be replaced by the Myer brand nationally.
The flagship Sydney CBD Grace Bros store will be the first to have the brand removed with the new look Myer store to be unveiled next Thursday, while the rest of the 25 Grace Bros will be re-branded over the following seven days.
Friday will see the launch of a major advertising campaign that will let consumers know about the changes and re-introduce the Myer brand, which disappeared from NSW in the 1980s.
Myer Grace Bros managing director Dawn Robertson told B&T the long predicted move followed extensive research by the retailer that revealed that the loss of the Grace Bros brand was not seen as a major negative by Grace Bros customers.
“They were quite open to change as long as they were still offered all the other things they want—great service, an exciting range of product and great store ambience, and an easy to shop store,” Robertson said.
“These are all the things that we have been putting in place since our brand strategy relaunch about a year ago.”
Robertson—who has led a strong profit turn around for the department store brand since she was recruited from the US in mid-2002—said the move to one national brand would create major efficiencies and a stronger brand.
“We think that with one brand, one team, one strategy we can develop a clearer and more consistent message,” she said.
