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| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | Melbourne, Australia (1977) |
| Founder(s) | Aart van Roest and Amy van Roest |
| Headquarters | Bella Vista, Australia, Australia |
| Number of locations | 140 |
| Area served | Australia |
| Key people | Amy van Roest (Director) |
| Products | Homewares, Manchester, Giftware, Small Electrical, Furniture, Kitchenware |
| Owner(s) | Amy van Roest |
| 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.
Contents |
History [edit]
The origins of the company can be traced back to the eastern Suburbs of Melbourne and the iconic Croydon Stock yards (flea market) in 1970. On 1 August 1979, Mr and Mrs Aart and Amy van Roest's first store to carry the name of Copperart was located in Canterbury Road, Blackburn, Victoria. followed shortly by its 6 other stores that were also in operation at that time.
Initially the business sold copper and brass wares from around the world, Grandfather clocks and wall clocks. There is an interesting story of how the company gained its name Copperart (and Its later name of Homeart) Basically it is the material the products were made from (Copper) and the name of the original founder Aart Hence the coming together of the words Copper and Aart (Copperart). Copperart sold mostly copper and brass products, but the company expanded in the 1980s to include a broader range of homewares.
2001: rebranding [edit]
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]
2009: still going strong [edit]
In 2009, the company happily celebrated its 30th year of trade with a '30th Birthday Sale', supported by a catalogue.
2010: logo update and changes [edit]
In mid-2010, Homeart updated its 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 [edit]
Through its heavy use of television advertising, Copperart became a very well known Australian company. Copperart used the well-known 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 2000s (decade) 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.
Present day [edit]
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 [edit]
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.
References [edit]
External links [edit]
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