Big W

When I first moved to Melbourne this store was my go to place. Great selection and reasonable prices. Avoid on the weekends it’s way too busy

You’ve been lazy all day to get some contact lens solution. Just when all the pharmacies and shops are closed. Big W is there to provide you with the most basic unprescribed medications, stationery, books, entertainment, basic clothing’s, cosmetics, photo printing and even eye prescription glasses.
All of this with the bonus of being open till late night. Did I mention the convenient location covering a large amount of the CBD population.
That is a convenience worth liking.

You never know when you’ll need a late night stationery purchase or get the desire to buy cheap synthetic clothing… but guaranteed the time will come and Big W, open til midnight, is going to save your skin.

This is very much like a Walmart or K-​Mart in the USA. It’s got everything you could ever want.
I came here to get athletic shorts for my stay here in Melbourne and I found what I needed. I had a few questions and the staff was nice and helpful. This location is way at the bottom of the food court area next to the Sensis building. There are quite a few «self checkout» stands so that you can get out of there quickly when needed.
Don’t half step. Come here to get travel sized toothpaste and mouth wash.

Great for the every day things.

It is what it is — a huge all encompassing lifestyle store for the budget conscious in the vein of KMart. A good place to nip into if you need a bunch of things and you want to get it all relatively cheaply and without going into a million different shops.
They stock Bonds undies in normal colours, like black, which is wonderful if you’re not into the gaudy colours and patterns that Bonds is so fond of these days. And they do some pretty good deals on basic cotton/​canvas flat shoes for everyday wear.
Also found some toiletries that I needed for cheaper than in other stores and phamacies and stuff.
Know where you’re going though. This place is too big to be wandering around aimlessly.

Although writing about chain stores too frequently isn’t recommended; I have found this establishment to be my saving grace and welcome to Melbourne kind of feel in a cost effective manner.
For those of you who have ever re-​located to another city, you would agree that you need an abundance of savings behind you to make success in your new city happen with some patience; and yet turbulence can and does arise which means that for some items you need to be thrifty and economical with your spending.
This is where this establishment was one hell of a saving grace for me when I re-​located to Melbourne from Sydney earlier this year. Despite walking back and forth five blocks (exercise is a great thing; I find the trams way too slow at times when travelling within the CBD) I was able to buy some necessities such as a toaster, dustpan and broom — the simple things that every home usually needs, and would not be worth the effort packing for backloads. And especially with the range and the prices on offer here at this establishment.
It is a bit annoying using the self service registers at times, and it is advisable to bring your own bags as their plastic bags are a little too small and thin to my liking. Best to buy in the early mornings on a weekend before the crowds come home to roost.

I’m American, and when I heard that Big W was pretty much the Australian equivalent of Wal*Mart, I do have to admit I got excited.
Now, if you have never been to Wal*Mart, what you need to understand is this — it WILL have EVERYTHING YOU NEED. Food, clothing, furniture… you name it, they got it. With Big W being the supposed Wal*Mart equivalent, I was a bit disappointed by its very limited selection.
—
~ Isn’t Big W’s entire market strategy based on the fact that they’re supposed to be a cheap alternative to other shops? I looked at nail polish that cost the same as Mecca Cosmetica, a much higher quality beauty store.
~ The music and electronics section could use a bit of work as well. They have a lot of obscure things, but nothing big. I wanted to buy Beyonce’s new album ‘4’ and it was nowhere to be found… not even out of stock — they just didn’t have it plain and simple.
Big W isn’t a bad store, but I probably would not be coming here to do my shopping. It’s small and not as cheap as it would like you to think — what’s the point?