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THE imminent arrival of stationery giant Officeworks has been hailed as a clear indication of Tamworth’s economic progress.
The Wesfarmers-owned office-supplies chain confirmed to The Leader on Tuesday that it would open in Kable Ave within a year.
Officeworks, which has 155 stores across Australia, will set up shop where the defunct Sam’s Warehouse once traded.
The land’s owner, John Treloar of Treloar Estates, said Officeworks had long considered Tamworth a desirable location.
However, he said the company had waited patiently until it was sure it had the right CBD location to meet its needs.
“Officeworks is a national company that likes to have a presence in major regional areas and it’s very significant that they’ve chosen Tamworth to come to,” he said.
“Once this site came up, they obviously realised this was the right site and now they’re moving ahead as quickly as they can.”
In January, The Leader surveyed its Facebook followers on which businesses they would most like to see come to Tamworth.
Officeworks emerged as a clear winner, followed by department store Myer, furniture giant IKEA and fellow stationery supplier Smiggle.
Tamworth Business Chamber president Tim Coates said it was a sign of the city’s growing strength that large national chains were willing to make significant investments.
“It’s growing to the point where national stores and providers are looking at Tamworth, which is a positive thing,” he said.
However, Mr Coates tempered his comments by saying Officeworks’ arrival would likely have a negative impact on some established small businesses.
Officeworks, which says it will open within 10 to 12 months, has signed an initial seven-year lease, with three five-year options.