Homeart
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | Melbourne, Australia (1979) |
| Founder | Aart and Amy van Roest |
| Headquarters | , |
Number of locations | 140 |
Area served | Australia |
Key people | Amy van Roest (Director) |
| Products | Homewares, Manchester, Giftware, Small Electrical, Furniture, Kitchenware |
| Owner | Amy van Roest |
Number of employees | 850 |
| Parent | Copperart Holdings Pty Limited |
| Website | www.homeart.com.au |
Homeart is a national chain of retail stores with outlets in every state in Australia selling mostly homewares, giftware and electrical products.
History
The origins of the company can be traced back to Melbourne's Croydon flea market in 1978. On 1 August 1979, Mr Aart & Mrs Amy Van Roest opened their first Copperart store on Canterbury Road, Blackburn, Victoria.
Initially, Copperart sold mostly copper and brass products but the company expanded in the 1990s to include a broader range of homewares.
1990's Franchising
During the 1990s, Copperart used a franchising strategy to significantly grow the business, adding over 50 stores to the network. Gradually, Copperart bought back all franchises and today all stores are company owned.
2001 Rebranding
By the year 2000 the product range in the Copperart stores had changed dramatically and bore little resemblance to original concept and the once famous copper and brass had virtually disappeared.[1] In late 2001, Copperart changed its trading name to Homeart. It was believed that the "Copperart" name implied only a small range of copper and copper related products (which may have stigmatised the store), when in fact the stores sold a wide range of products such as manchester, clocks (including grandfather clocks), electrical, homewares, dolls, furniture, sports & leisure and outdoor.[2]
2006 A Time of Sadness
In 2006, company founder Mr Aart Van Roest died leaving sole ownership to Mrs Amy Van Roest.
2008 A Different Approach
In 2008, Homeart tried something new by offering a VIP Club card for a one year limited period. The card gave holders the following: Entitlements:
- 5% off Electrical & Electronic product available in store.
- 10% off all other products available in store.
- Discount available at all Homeart stores throughout Australia
Conditions:
- Discount is not valid on items already discounted by 50% or more off the label price.
- Discount is not available on layby sales.
- Card must be presented at point of purchase to receive your discount.
- Only Homeart VIP Club members are entitled to the privileges of the VIP Club.
- Homeart reserves the right to change the terms and conditions at anytime without notice.
- Check Homeart website for further details.
After 2008, the card was discontinued.
2009 Still Going Strong
In 2009, the company happily celebrated it's 30th year of trade with a '30th Birthday Sale', supported by a catalogue. Also, the much loved porcelain and material dolls that had become a staple in all Homeart stores were deleted and no longer carried.
2010 Logo Update and Changes
In 2010, Homeart saw many changes take effect. One being the appointment of a CEO, Peter Spring and the restructure of it's Support Office. In mid 2010, Homeart updated it's logo replacing the large roof with a smaller, more subtle one, giving it a more modern look. The font and colour were also changed to a more modern style and distinctive "Homeart" orange.
Advertising
Through its heavy use of television and radio advertising, Copperart became a very well known Australian company. Copperart used Pete Smith in television commercials during the 1990s. Pete Smith is probably best remembered for his voiceovers on Sale of the Century. However, into the 2000's these mediums were not utilized and large catalogue distributions were the companies choice. In 2009, Homeart returned to television with the use of an advertisement toward the end of the year to promote its goods for the Christmas season. For the 2010 financial year, an aggressive marketing campaign was put together consisting of various themed sales, television commercials and catalogue drops aided by the consulting of Australian marketing heavyweight Mark Cario and his agency The Marketing Revolution.
Present day
Homeart continues to trade in Australia, employing over 850 people in approximately 140 stores across the country. According to the companies website, the stores are "brimming with inspirational gift ideas, affordable everyday essentials and innovative home decorating products".[3]
Pop culture
Copperart was featured several times in the early 1990s on the sketch comedy show Fast Forward. The sketches were send ups of Copperart's television commercials with comedian Steve Vizard acting as Pete Smith, the television announcer Copperart used for its commercials.