And on top of all the bargains, it was also the first day of work for many of the 21 new employees — 19 of them sourced from the Benalla community.
Regional sales and operations manager Matthew Kearney said the retailer was part way through a massive expansion into Victoria and employing from within local communities was a key part of that.
“Our store manager Travis Wellington was local to the area, his parents are from Euroa, and he’s coming back to town with his family,” Mr Kearney said.
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“Bianca is our assistant manager and she’s from Shepparton.
“The other 19 staff have been hired from within the Benalla community and we have some who used to work at Target.
“Locals will know Lynn and Tracey who worked here for many years and we’re glad to have them on board.
“We’ve got big expansion plans and want to double our network within the next four to five years, and that’s going into Victoria, NSW and a few of the other states as well.
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“We’re a South Australian company but we’re looking to open more stores up and down the Hume Fwy.”
What this expansion means for people taking up employment with Cheap as Chips is that there is the potential for development and promotions within the company, in the local area and further afield.
“In the last six to 12 months we’ve actually had opportunities to promote from within, not just from team members and shift runners into assistant manager and store manager roles, but also store managers into regional manager roles as well,” Mr Kearney said.
“We’ve had three regional managers come out of stores in the last six to 12 months, and then their positions have been filled by people within their stores which is fantastic.”
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Mr Kearney said the soft opening included some special offers and the grand opening on Wednesday, June 23, will also have some offers only available in Benalla.
“We have a special front and back page of the catalogue which is just for the Benalla area, with specials only available in this store,” he said.
“And those are over and above the specials we have in the catalogue for the rest of the country.
“We just can't wait to get the doors open.
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“We're really excited. You only get the chance to have a grand opening once and to be able to do that and showcase our range of products is great.
“Some local people will have been to our Shepparton store and will have an idea what we stock.
“But for those who haven't I think they'll see that there's nothing else like Cheap as Chips in town.
“We're a one-stop shop. Not just for your groceries, but also homewares, pet products, things for your car, tools, craft, stationery and much more.”
Cheap as Chips Benalla will be open from Monday to Saturday, 8.30 am to 5.30 pm, and on Sundays from 10 am to 5 pm.
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