Latest news with #BigW
7NEWS
14 hours ago
- Business
- 7NEWS
Premium luggage that costs less than an Uber to the airport: Why shoppers swear by this budget range available at Big W
When it comes to luggage, names like Samsonite, American Tourister, Antler and July are the ones that are typically thrown around in in-the-know circles. But one new Aussie brand is attempting to disrupt this status quo, with premium affordable luggage that costs less than your trip to the airport. Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today The new brand, available online and at Big W, aims to make premium luggage and travel essentials accessible to everyone with sleek, tough ABS shell suitcases starting from just $39. Designed to look, feel and most importantly roll like a first-class ticket holder, the brand wants to create good-looking luggage that works but won't set you back thousands. You can get a carry-on suitcase for just $39, a medium check-in suitcase for $55 and a large check-in suitcase for $79. While it might be hard to believe given their affordable prices, the Fly First suitcases boast all the features you know and love from a more high-end brand. Think smooth, dlouble spinner wheels, TSA locks, premium lining and expandable inner zips for those inevitable European shopping sprees. Crucially, they are also lightweight. The medium-sized suitcase, for instance, weighs just 3.5 kilograms, while also swallowing a week's worth of outfits into its 63-litre capacity. While the large case weighs 4.6 kilograms and can hold up to 93 litres. It's not just suitcases that Fly First has on offer either, as there is also a range of premium accessories. Type A travellers who love a good packing system will be taken with the Fly First Packing Cubes (3 or 7-piece sets), which cost just $8. While others will love the extra TSA locks, silicone luggage tags, straps, and the comfiest memory foam neck pillow this side of the cabin curtain. Reviews are scant for the Aussie products right now given it's a new brand, but the label already has nearly 85,000 followers on Instagram and there is a five-star rating on the Big W website.
The Guardian
15-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Guardian
Dad has never been afraid to bargain. The day I bought my car, I saw a master at work
I was nine when Dad first gave me the advice that would be a golden thread, a parable of wisdom conveying all his hard-earned knowledge in a few words. He had just finished a long week at the mixed business we owned in the city, and we were at Menai Marketplace in Sydney's south for a very special purchase. I was desperate for a PlayStation 1. I pointed at the Big W price tag and asked: 'Dad, is this expensive?' He said that nothing was expensive for us, as long as I got good marks in my tests. We went to the counter. The saleswoman was a blond middle-aged lady. 'Now, tell me, my dear,' he began. 'Is this your best price?' I went outside to let Dad work the trade. On the way home, PlayStation in tow, I asked him why he always did that. He told me that I should never be afraid to bargain: 'If you don't ask, you don't get!' Dad has been putting this maxim to the test every day of his life. In theory, it might sound like some lofty invocation to be courageous, to tackle every challenge boldly. In practice, it's the more banal reality of him asking the guy at the Aldi counter if there are any further reductions on liquorice bullets. In 2022, more than 20 years after the release of the PlayStation 1, I follow Dad into a Volkswagen dealership. Now hunched with sciatica, he still has a purposeful confidence and a rugged but wearied charisma about him. He wants me to feel satisfied with a purchase that will make me proud for a long time after I drive away. He also thinks I'm stupid with salespeople, liable to say and pay too much. There is only one car we're really interested in, and it's not even a Volkswagen. Dad says European cars are too hard to maintain. I give the game away almost immediately, spotting the 2004 Kia Cerato, which Dad discovered after extensive digging online, parked outside with all the other pre-owned vehicles. I tell him it looks like it's in good shape. Dad pulls me aside abruptly and tells me, in Arabic, not to let the dealers know I like the car. Inside the dealership, Dad begins his predatory shark game. His face is grave: vague curiosity, little expression. He circles the gleaming, air-conditioned lot. With his walking stick, he hits a hub cap here and strikes a bonnet there. He is declaring his presence. In his home city – El-Qantara el-Sharqîya, a small town on the Suez canal – fishermen would throw their lines into the canal and wait for hours for fish to take the bait. Today, Dad is also baiting his catch, deliberately provoking the sales staff – standard issue white guys in navy blue polyester suits. Who is the hungriest fish? I follow him from afar, swallowing my frustration and preparing myself for a drawn out pursuit. After about 10 minutes, someone approaches. Dad asks the skinny salesman what he thinks of the Kia. The salesman says it doesn't matter what he thinks, what matters is what Dad thinks. With this, he opens the Cerato's door and gestures for us to sit down. Dad lumbers laboriously into the front seat. He examines the freshly detailed interior. The steering wheel, the rear-view mirror, the glove compartment. He glances at the logbook. Nothing escapes his gaze or his barrage of questions about the previous owners, registration dates and thoroughness of the last service. Dad pulls the car on to the street. I'm in the passenger seat and the salesman is in the back. The salesman reminds us of the 50km/h speed limit. Dad puts his loafer down hard on the accelerator. 'Acceleration a bit slow,' Dad says as he charges down a shopping strip, causing a small woman to jump back from the pedestrian crossing and knock over her fabric wheelie trolley. We arrive back at the dealership. The salesman's composure is intact and Dad's face is like a slate of old granite in the Valley of the Kings. I'm anxious about the possibility that I will not take this car home today, because Dad won't like the price. The salesman says the car is in great condition, and asks if we would like to drive home with it today. Dad mumbles some protestations about the condition of the car. That's when our salesman surprises me. He tells us there are plenty of other buyers interested in the car, and that he won't waste our time if we won't waste his. He is made of firmer stuff than he looks. We learn later that he's from Donnybrook, about 200km from Perth, which, like Dad's home town near Port Said, is the lesser town to a more famous city. My father and the salesman have some things in common. Both men are hungry, both appreciate the value of a dollar and both have nothing else on today. Dad says we're interested, we just need a fair deal. He starts listing extenuating circumstances that might sway this austere salesman to our favour. They include me having a perfect driving record and being able to pay in cash today. I was suspended for speeding twice and the only thing in my wallet is an expired Medicare card. The salesman looks unconvinced. That's when Dad reveals his juiciest bait. We also have a good car for trade-in, he announces and offers the salesman a key. The salesman, eyebrows raised, takes the key and trudges outside to look at my sister's 1999 Toyota Yaris, which I've been driving for five years. A few minutes later, he returns with his manager. Dad leans over to me with a warning, that he's going to say some bullshit about what's wrong with the car. Sure enough, we're told about a 'thumping noise' emitted by the gearbox, scratches to the exterior and the age of the vehicle. They can only offer a deduction of $2,000 on the asking price. Dad scoffs and says they must be joking. The manager – a man of quieter gravity than his protege – speaks up. He tells Dad that he can see how serious we are about making a purchase, but that with all these liabilities in mind and the state of the market, he can't go any lower without losing money for the dealership. My heart drops. I turn to my father, my eyes pleading. I'm on the verge of tears. 'I'm afraid $14,500 is the best I can do, Mr Nour,' the manager says. Dad tells him that for $14,000, I will shake his hand today. This is all too much. My head feels light and there's a catch in my throat. I need a break. I go to make a cup of coffee at the courtesy De'Longhi espresso machine. When I come back, I find the salesman grinning and Dad chuckling softly. Something has changed between these two men – game recognises game. The real arbitration, however, is between Dad and the manager. The manager wearily says he can't budge further. 'It's $14,200 or nothing.' Dad turns to me seriously, with his eyes wide in a questioning stare. He has fixed the contest, but mine is the deciding vote. Will I accept the terms? I reach forward to shake the manager's hand. After a half-hour session of contract-signing and payment transactions, Dad stops on the way out, looking to see if I will say anything else. I surprise myself and ask if they can throw anything else in to sweeten the deal. Dad laughs. I drive off that day with a new car, two branded umbrellas and a feeling that I have just scored the freshest gaming console on the market and finished all my homework. This is an edited extract from How to Dodge Flying Sandals and Other Advice for Life ($29.99; Affirm Press)
Daily Mail
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Popular Aussie retailer pulls Donald Trump costume item from shelves as customers slam 'filth'
Australians have unleashed on Big W for temporarily selling 'costume' Make America Great Again hats which are associated with US President Donald Trump. Melbourne-based activist and model Jeff Kissubi shared a screenshot on TikTok of the retailer's online marketplace showing the cap on Wednesday. The item is described as a ' Donald Trump Party Costume Hat' in red and white. While it has since been removed from the Big W website, a Google listing was online for hours and showed the item could cost customers $24.95. Mr Kissubi slammed the decision to sell it as a costume, saying the hat was too similar to the real movement associated with Trump. 'As if Trump's policies haven't harmed real people in real life and to be profiting off oppression of others is wild,' he said. 'What is it about Trump and his politics (which) has resulted in inhumane treatment of other people within America (that) is something to wear as a costume? 'Why is that the first thing that comes to your head... that Trump is a caricature as a costume that people can wear on Halloween?' The hat was available on Big W's online marketplace via a third party Mr Kissubi said the hat 'completely minimises how his politics has resulted in families being broken, lives being destroyed, and the rise of racism, xenophobia and discrimination within America'. Big W did not offer the item, instead hosting it on a platform which allows independent sellers to market their products, but it has since taken the listing down. 'The item was listed for sale by a third party seller on Big W Market, it was not sold in Big W stores,' a spokesperson told 'It has now been removed from sale.' Daily Mail Australia has contacted Big W's owner, Woolworths Group, for comment. Social media users agreed with Mr Kissubi in criticising the item as insensitive with multiple comments saying 'shame on you' to the retailer. 'Went straight to Big W and left a review on it, disgusting and disgraceful that any store in Australia would sell that filth,' one man said. A user said: 'This scares me more than any Halloween costume ever could.' Despite Big W removing the item from its marketplace a Google link existed for hours after the fact which had originally linked to the item A third commented: 'This is SO embarrassing.' But others gave the retailer the benefit of the doubt, referencing the cap's appearance on the third party marketplace 'Not sure how much moderation there is with the Big W "marketplace", seeing as brands can sell their products through Big W, like Amazon,' one person said. Another said: 'I dressed as Trump at a dress up last week. Who cares. 'People have dressed as politicians forever. Go worry about a real issue baby.'
News.com.au
11-07-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Aussie retailer removes MAGA hat from sale after backlash
A major Australian retailer has pulled a hat sporting a popular US slogan from US President Donald Trump from sale after it was listed on its third-party platform. The red 'Make America Great Again' cap was available on Big W Marketplace, where Aussies can shop items from third-party sellers online alongside the department store's in-house offerings. It was described as a 'Donald Trump party Costume Hat'. The listing sparked reaction among online commenters when a screenshot of the divisive product was shared by activist Jeff Kissubi. 'Australian global retailer Big W selling MAGA Trump party costumes, as if Trump's policies haven't harmed real people in real life and to be profiting off oppression of others is wild,' Mr Kissubi captioned the clip. A Big W spokesperson confirmed the item has been removed from sale. 'The item was listed for sale by a third party seller on Big W Market, it was not sold in Big W stores. It has now been removed from sale,' the spokesperson said. There were some who called out the listing, asking why it was listed in the first place. 'Absolute filth,' one person commented. One social media user wrote: ''Party hat' as if it's some ironic gag.' 'Looks like it's been removed from their site. It is appearing in Google searches but not on their site. Shame on you @bigwaustralia. Good job team,' another commented. A screenshot of the item being sold was also shared to Reddit, with a number of people calling out the Marketplace platform for 'cheapening' the Big W brand. Followers have also started commenting on the retailer's social media accounts, posting anti-Trump gifs and memes on recent Instagram reels shared by the retailer. Previously, it has been reported that Big W regularly conducts product reviews to determine if items uploaded by third-party sellers align with the brand, as well as met health and safety standards. Big W Marketplace isn't the only platform seen to be selling item such as this — MAGA costumes have started popping up on several Australian retailers in recent months. It's not the first time that an item has fallen through the cracks when it comes to the third party platform. Last year, an at-home tattoo kit was available for $111. Due to the fact it was online, it meant there were no age requirement checks. At the time, Big W assured customers that the item was 'not categorised correctly' and that 'no orders had been filled'.
Perth Now
01-07-2025
- Automotive
- Perth Now
Decorated car pranksters reveal method behind their madness
Decorated cars at Kwinana Marketplace On Friday, it happened again: another unsuspecting car was hit by Kwinana Marketplace's resident pranksters. This time, the familiar plastic-wrapping job was finished with a rainbow unicorn theme. Last week, the perennial pranksters contacted the Sound Telegraph and revealed exactly how they plan, stage and get away with their schemes. The pair, who both work at Big W, have been playing out their pranks under the cover of darkness since November 2021. Due to immaculate prior preparation, they can now wrap and decorate a car in 'no time at all'. The pair — who, unsurprisingly, wish to remain anonymous — met in 2018 when their children began attending kindy together but really bonded when both their mothers died. 'I think it made us closer that we could relate and understand what a lot couldn't,' they told the Sound Telegraph. The latest: a rainbow unicorn themed car. Credit: Supplied 'We started having coffee after school drop-offs each morning and we still do it each day together now with two other mums. 'It's therapy before starting work.' Work is at the local Big W store, where the two mums started together on the same day in 2021. 'We're both a little crazy, so bonded more,' they added. The flower power theme. Credit: Supplied 'So lucky, it's actually an amazing place to work in general, the boss is so good and it's a fun place to work. 'They all love it and know to keep the secret from the person whose car is getting wrapped now and not say anything.' Usually the pair just prank each other, but the recent unicorn design was added to their boss's car on her last day working at Big W. The pair first came to wider attention when a photo of a car wrapped up and decorated to look like Mickey Mouse was posted on social media last month, where it received thousands of reactions. Other impressive designs made over the years include a Christmas-themed car complete with flashing lights as well as a hippy flower power theme. And the last word from the pranksters? Shoppers should keep their eyes out in the coming weeks for another Disney-themed design. The Christmas car complete with elf. Credit: Supplied
