rebel will open its biggest Tasmanian store in Hobart’s CBD today, creating more than 40 jobs.
The flagship store takes over the former H&M site in Murray Street, opening at 9am after a ribbon cutting at 8.45am.
It spans 3,000 square metres across two floors and rebel says it will stock the widest range of sports equipment and apparel in the state.
The store will carry Tasmania Devils guernseys and team wear ahead of the launch of the state’s first AFL team, along with gear for cricket, basketball and other sports.
The CBD store joins rebel’s existing Tasmanian stores at Eastlands in Rosny and in Launceston.
It is the second rCX, or rebel Customer Experience, format store in Tasmania.
The layout includes a football experience zone where customers can handball and kick a footy before they buy.
More than 40 full-time, part-time and casual jobs have been created at the store, with employees recruited from across Hobart.
The opening fills a prominent CBD shopfront that was left empty earlier this year when H&M shut its Hobart store.
H&M said the decision followed a review of its store network and the end of its lease. The store had opened in 2018 in the former Harris Scarfe site.
Another prominent CBD shopfront remains empty following the closure of Glue Store on the corner of Liverpool and Elizabeth streets.
Owner Accent Group announced in February it would sell or close a number of underperforming stores by July, with Hobart among those affected.
Business Greater Hobart chair Edwin Johnstone said the closures reflected the pressures facing bricks-and-mortar retail.
“This highlights how competitive retail is right now, with online shopping and rising costs affecting decisions about physical stores,” he said.
Johnstone said the priority was making sure vacant shopfronts were reactivated quickly.
“The real issue isn’t just the closure, it’s how quickly we can reactivate the space and keep confidence in the CBD strong,” he said.
