It's the end of an era with George Mart closing.
For years it was the backpackers supply shop . Selling everything from souvenirs to birthday cards.
They are clearing stock and everything (except drinks) is 50% off.
Packs of incense for $1.
23 litre back packs from $10
Lots and lots of Australian souvenirs available.
A real rambling hodgepodge of a shop
David Jones @Westfield Mt Gravatt is closing on Sunday after over 50 years
Not much left on Wednesday. Some clothes 75% off. Most worthwhile stock has been moved to other stores.
Ah memories… Saw a few unhappy older women, who've shopped there for most of their lives.
All of Mt Gravatt is closing and moving to adjoining suburbs.
Westfield Mt Gravatt isn't even in Mt Gravatt
@jv: Westfield "moved" it to Mt Gravatt August last year when they changed the name of the shopping centre from Garden City.
So seems its all moving to Mt Gravatt!
@INFIDEL: Pretty sure I will call it garden city until both feet are in the grave. Too old to change.
@entropysbane: Same. Just used the "official" Westfield name here - for first time.
Garden City used to have a colourful Peacock as its emblem. Long gone, except if you look hard (skylights in old part of centre used to still have it).
Westfield can name their shopping centre what they like. Some major tenants have Garden City in their name. The library & major bus interchange are called Garden City.
It's up to us what we want to call it!
#longlivethegcpeacock 😃
@INFIDEL: Now , there's a bunch of old Indian guys sitting on all the benches inside the aircon at Christmas, perving on all the young girls.
Not a place to bring your family.
@beach bum: DJs GC closed for good @5pm.
Most likely they are paid to pack up remaining stock.
Sat in front of the closed escalator (by cosmetic specials) on first floor on Wednesday.
Few customers - a VERY quiet place to make calls!
@mikk: The Westfield was named by the owners as "Westfield Mt Gravatt".
They paid a fortune for it, so can name it as they please.
And we can call it what we want. For years I've called it GC! Much easier.
But the suburb the Westfield is located in isn't Mt Gravatt!
It's Upper Mt Gravatt / (Upper Mount Gravatt - see locality naming principles).
Mount Gravatt is a different suburb km to the North!
This Westfield is located closest to Mount Gravatt, hence the use of the shorter name.
Can.tell when people aren't local - they don't use local abbreviations…
Deliveries will generally arrive, no matter which name we use.
Stick to Melbourne JV :)
No signs to say it's closing. Staff member I know was concerned people will arrive next week to find it shut for good.
The sale is officially just a continuation of the Boxing Day sale. With some extras.
They close the doors at 5pm every Sunday.
No signs to say it's closing.
They’ve had signs up since mid-November.
https://www.reddit.com/r/brisbane/comments/ywom1e/djs_garden…
@Richfield: Closing some time in January according to a sign at the store. (posted 2 months ago)
You've seen the sign stating the store was permanently closing this month??
I haven't. Long term DJs customers I talked with there in last month weren't aware of the closure. Seems only that 1 reddit user noticed that sign.
As Douglas Adams once wrote in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy…
Mr Prosser: But, Mr Dent, the plans have been available in the local planning office for the last nine months.
Arthur Dent: Oh yes, well as soon as I heard I went straight round to see them, yesterday afternoon. You hadn’t exactly gone out of your way to call attention to them had you? I mean like actually telling anybody or anything.
Mr Prosser: But the plans were on display…
Arthur: On display? I eventually had to go down to the cellar to find them.
Mr Prosser: That’s the display department.
Arthur: With a torch.
😉
Saw that reddit post, when posting here about the closure & sale of DJs a month ago. Looked for the sign…
But didn't see any signs instore. Am regularly there & chat with staff - they weren't aware of any signs. Rather they were concerned by the lack of signs to warn their regular customers!
But the closure has been discussed in the media. The Courier Mail has carried stories of its closure for some time. Until very recently the date of closure was only speculated as January. But who reads that?
Signs were likely associated with planning application for changes to the Westfield centre. Few even notice those type of small & complex signs. Signs are removed after the application closing date - a while ago.
Im excited to see what new stores will be replacing it though, hope theres a uniqlo!
Refurbishment plans
"seven (7) new Mini Major tenancies, speciality stores and improved pedestrian access."
seven (7) new Mini Major tenancies
What's to bet we see:
So it'll be just like David Jones was, just with walls between the "departments".
At least we won't have to walk through the perfume section anymore to get to the other areas. I always held my breath while traversing that section, it could be difficult at times to get through on one breath.
@Russ: The remodelling is to benefit Westfield. So whichever tenants provide the best return!
(The entire site was originally bought by DJs in 1960, before being developed into Garden City. So the departure of DJs is a major change. Customer shopping habits & local demographics have changed.)
"improved pedestrian access" is necessary for fire exits & required for pedestrian flows to new tenants. Current layout is over 30 years old.
When nearby Carindale DJs was remodeled, the escalator between floors was removed. Kmart moved into the the upper level. Westfield got 2 tenants instead of 1 major.
There still is a perfume section there, but customers no longer have to walk through it. Certainly "improved pedestrian access". Now we walk past their coffee cafe.
Staff say it's used as a model for development of other DJs.
New owners of DJs this year may have other ideas…
Current layout is over 30 years old.
I disagree with you there, it's less than ten years since the most recent expansion and remodeling:
https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/westfield-gar…
Wikipedia lists the history and multiple expansions, and also has a nice picture of the peacock windows above the entrance: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westfield_Mt_Gravatt
I can remember when David Jones was a separate building which got turned into the current carpark beside DJs, and the current cinemas weren't there. I think there was a single cinema inside, near the current food court?
I disagree with you there
You took my comment out of context!
Wasn't discussing DJs move to that location 15 years ago.
Nor the latest extension to that huge shopping centre less than 10 years ago.
Just the area being redeveloped where DJs was. In response to discussion about what would replace DJ's.
My comment was about how the redesign should improve pedestrian access in that old section of Garden City, including the food court.
It hasn't been significantly updated since adjacent "food court was added to the centre adjacent to the main court in 1982.". The major developments at that end of the centre occurred outside (cinema, Town Square food court around a pool).
As I wrote:
"improved pedestrian access" is necessary for fire exits & required for pedestrian flows to new tenants. Current layout is over 30 years old
New plans significantly improve access to those old sections of the centre, including the food court. The food court has been extending towards DJs. But the food court link to DJs has been a dead area. The new links should increase traffic in that area & bring new tenants.
Changes in pedestrian access involves a redevelopment of the old DJs entrance & another old entrance onto the car park & bus interchange. Linked to the plans earlier
All at opposite end of the centre from latest extension. It had become very stale in comparison. People were not drawn to that old area of the centre. So it needed a redesign
it's less than ten years since the most recent expansion and remodeling
That latest extension is a very long walk from the DJs area - after Harvey Norman & Big W. Did not affect pedestrian access in area around DJs & 1982 food court.
I went out with an attractive 18 year old DJs employee - who worked in the old building. So I remember it VERY well😉
@INFIDEL: Ah okay, when your next sentence was talking about Carindale, I took your "improved pedestrian access" statement to be an expansive statement, not specific to the planned remodel. Now I see the link. Thanks!
@Russ: Ah, may not have explained it that well.
Having got to know DJs staff at Garden City & Carindale over last few years (great for very cheap bargains they'd put aside for me), we had discussed the "renovations" of both DJs.
We had wrongly assumed DJs would keep the Garden City store, downsizing & modernising it like the Carindale model.
But seems it was in best interests of DJs to decrease costs by closing GC.
And that suited the Scentre Group who own the Westfield. They could then revamp the older areas at that end of the centre to make it more attractive, increase foot traffic in dead areas near old DJs, attracting new tenants & customers.
Will miss the friendly staff, who are now scattered around other stores.
@INFIDEL: Do you know why they changed the name from Westfield Garden City to Westfield Mt. Gravatt in the first place?
@djoz: Corporate image for Westfield💰
They're using a brand stylesheet, outlining how Westfield should be presented.
Creates consistency in naming - Westfield centre names now incorporate locality.
(Similarly, I created stylesheets for design of University publications & Masters courses - when working as an undergrad student. It allowed consistency of message.)
"Garden City" doesn't provide that information about locality, unlike Mt Gravatt. Its just the name locals know it by. "Garden City" is a hang over from the developer in the 60-70's. Its had a few owners since then.
Confusingly, there was another Westfield Garden City!!
Westfield Booragoon (formerly known as Garden City) is a major regional shopping centre in the city of Perth
And the use of the unofficial name "Garbo" by some locals wouldn't fit their corporate image & demographic of the type of customers they would want to attract to spend lots of money there😉
Aww, I used to use David Jones as a walkthrough to get from the carpark to Woolworths… Never bought anything, just appreciated the eye candy women in the makeup section on the way 😎
Plans show that car park access will be upgraded to allow access to new stores & as fire escape route.
Wow. Been going through it literally everyday for the past few months and didn’t know it was closing. Just assumed they were reorganising
That's what staff thought until recently. Lower floor became increasingly used to store shop fittings. The food section shrank to almost nothing. Was buying food items up to 75% off.
Had expected renovation from 2 floors to 1 & significant upgrade, as happened at nearby Westfield Carindale.
DJs parent company has entered into agreement to sell to the same Venture Capital company that bought old Dick Smith! Bought for $94M, & listed it on stock market for $500M. Went bankrupt after that…
Expect further changes elsewhere!
You can't expect shops based on 20th century business models to survive long term. Plenty of the massive chains that exist today are living on borrowed time if they don't adapt. JBHifi, EB Games, Reject Shop, David Jones, etc.
What is the 20th century business model?
I had no idea how it was in business pre-covid…
Kind of figured it might have been done money laundering outfit. I think they did do dry cleaning…
Only thing worth buying is drinks but it says exclude drinks :(
Made in China thongs with aussie flag on them?
taiwan flag
TBH over the last the twenty years I think I bought a birthday card once, and then every other week a drink when I walked by.
ahh got my excited, I thought it was George street in Sydney CBD
Too bad the shithole 3 doors down isn't closing.
that is 3 doors up.
obviously talking about the church
about the church
So Richmond Tigers is an atheist?
No surprise.
@jv: Your bunny ears are blasphemous! Easter is about something something, not chocolate and bunnies.
@jv: My mistake, you must be a furry if your ears are no reference to Easter.
That explains EVERYTHING!
Me = Atheist.
JV = Furry.
I think we have a better understanding of eachother now :).
My mistake, you must be a furry if your ears are no reference to Easter.
It is New Year. Easter is months away…
But then I guess an atheist wouldn't know that.
@jv: You are correct, but a furry would sure as hell know when it is socially acceptable to dress up in a full rabbit fursuit.
Here I'll even help you pick one out buddy
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1154899702/rabbit-fursuit-parti…
Easter is months away…
Tell that to Coles and Woolworths. Been getting my hot cross buns since boxing day
Been getting my hot cross buns since boxing day
which of their stores sell them hot?
It is currently a fortnight past New Year, slow old person
It is is nine days grasshopper.
Amen!
What do you have against Govinda's?
Ahh I didn't name names so it could be anything…. maybe.
Also the place more likely to sue is at the northern end of George St.
Is there any real bargain there?
Can you explain why you upvoted?
Presumably just to annoy jv.
I'm never annoyed unless you post deceptive and misleading prices.
nangs half price?
I remember getting Kangaroo scented frangas from here back in the day
I would not jump on that
What’s up skip?
2 hours and no upvote. It didn’t deserve much but it deserved better
was likely just your scent cdaddy
It’s a no for me, I’m thirsty
The store mainly stocks junk, it closing isn't a loss.
Sad actually. yea it was a random Hodge podge shop, but great if you needed a drink and random lollies
who buys random lollies ? .. and what are they?
Those clear plastic bags of mixed lollies
Who would buy them?
I was walking past yesterday and decided to go in.. loads of junk so didn't buy anything. There might be something for someone… Perhaps a cheap backpack.
![[QLD] 50% off Everything (except Drinks) @ George St Mart, 362 George St Brisbane](https://files.ozbargain.com.au/n/73/750973.jpg?h=615dc0f6)
Wow, that shop has been there for as long as I can remember …. so many changes in Brisbane, many not for the better. :(