Kmart is preparing to expand its standalone homeware format in Australia and add more Anko stores in the Philippines, according to a report by The West Australian.
The Wesfarmers-owned discount retailer launched a 3,000m² home-focused store in Melbourne in June under the K Home banner.
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The outlet stocks furniture and storage products that had previously been available only online.
Wesfarmers managing director Rob Scott said the new format had delivered a strong early performance.
According to the publication, Scott commented: “It was performing really well, so we’re really excited about the concept.”
Speaking as Wesfarmers presented its 2026 financial year results, Scott said bringing furniture into physical stores had helped drive sales growth in the category.
He added: “We’re getting really good growth in the furniture category that was only previously available online by putting that product into stores.
“We are looking forward to opening more stores.”
Scott said shoppers were not only purchasing furniture in-store but were also increasing the size of their overall baskets. However, he added the model still needed further refinement before a broader rollout.
When asked about plans to expand K Home nationally, Scott noted: “Whenever you launch a new store, you want to make sure you really get the model right, that you get it optimised before you ramp it up.”
The managing director also said Wesfarmers was considering increasing the number of Anko outlets in the Philippines, where the brand currently operates six stores.
He said the group’s Anko Global wholesale business had “started to slow down” because retailer concerns over tariffs had made commitments harder to secure.
Anko opened its first Philippine store in early November 2024.
Scott said the country’s retail market remained highly competitive, with strong mall operators and a wide presence of international brands.
He commented: “There are some fantastic shopping malls, there’s a lot of international brands, and I think it’s really a sign of the effectiveness of Anko that it does compete really well against a lot of the international brands that are there.
“We’ve got a really good partnership with a group called Ayala that owns a lot of shopping malls, and we’re looking to just continue to refine the offer and then hopefully open more stores in the year ahead.”
