Officeworks has recently welcomed experienced retailer and marketing leader, Jess Richmond, to the role of General Manager Marketing as well as celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of opening its first ever store in Richmond, Victoria.
Jess Richmond was most recently Head of Brand and Communications at 7 Eleven, where she led Advertising, Marketing, Category Marketing, Packaging, Brand and Digital. Prior to that, she held various senior marketing positions, including senior marketing roles at Coles Supermarkets and Boost Juice Bars.
The General Manager Marketing is a newly created role that oversees advertising, brand and CRM, and reports directly into Officeworks’ Managing Director Sarah Hunter.
Hunter said she is delighted to welcome Jess to the team: “It’s such an exciting time to join the business – our customers’ expectations and needs are changing faster than ever, against a backdrop of an increasingly competitive environment.
“Jess is an experienced retailer and marketing leader who is hugely passionate about building on the strong foundation of the Officeworks brand to create a true connection with our customers. She will be instrumental in driving our marketing and brand forward,” she added.
The company said Richmond is thrilled to join an innovative every-channel retailer that is focused on putting the customer first: “It’s a really exciting time to be in retail, and a brilliant opportunity to help Officeworks continue its fantastic work on delivering a culture of customer-centric communications.”
“I’m looking forward to building a deeper connection with our customers and exploring new ways to better understand and inspire them to make bigger things happen,” she said.
June 1994, Officeworks first ever store in Richmond, Victoria opened with 4,500 products and around 50 team members. The store’s best sellers were typewriters and overhead projectors.
Today the company said, Officeworks is one of Australia’s leading every-channel retailers, employing more than 8,000 team members and providing more than 40,000 products across office supplies, tech, furniture and Print & Copy to micro, small and medium businesses, students and households. Copy paper, laptops & PCs and student supplies are some of its highest sellers.
Established by the Coles Myer Group in 1994, the original plan was to open 50 stores in Australia. Fast forward 25 years and the retailer is part of Australian conglomerate Wesfarmers and operates 167 stores across the country, as well as an online business and growing B2B segment.
Recently, the business has purchased national provider of on-site information, communication and technology services, Geeks2U, opened the world’s largest office supplies store in Mentone, Victoria, and launched a new paid parental policy ‘Growing Families’.
With new Managing Director, Sarah Hunter, joining in January, the business is now looking forward to the next 25 years.
Hunter said: “I’m so proud to be part of this exciting journey and to work with a team that is so engaged and passionate about our brand. Making a positive difference and connecting with our team, our customers and the communities where we live and work, has and will continue to be a part of our DNA.”
“The future at Officeworks is very exciting and the opportunity to build on the existing success of the Officeworks team is something I’m very much looking forward to. There’s so much on the cards in the coming year that will continue to help make bigger things happen for our team, our customers and our communities,” she added.
To mark the 25th birthday, the retailer has deepened its commitment to its national partners, sponsoring a class of 25 students with The Smith Family, as well as donating literacy packs for students in 25 classrooms with Australian Literacy & Numeracy Foundation (ALNF).
Other celebrations included a lunch for team members who have been with Officeworks or the broader Wesfarmers / Coles Myer businesses for more than 25 years, as well as a Family Fun Day for its customers at the first store in Richmond, Victoria.
