JB Hi-Fi


JB Hi-Fi is a publicly listed Australian retailer that sells and specialises in consumer goods. JB Hi-Fi has locations in Australia and New Zealand. The company is based in Melbourne, with its headquarters located in Southbank.

History

JB Hi-Fi was established in the Melbourne suburb of Keilor East by John Barbuto in 1974. Barbuto sold the business in 1983 to Richard Bouris, David Rodd, and Peter Caserta, who expanded JB Hi-Fi into a chain of ten stores in Melbourne and Sydney turning over $150 million by 2000, when they sold the majority of their holding to private equity. It was subsequently floated on the ASX in October 2003.
As of August 2018, JB Hi-Fi is ranked as the equal 7th largest consumer electronics and home appliance retailer in the world.

Store Formats

JB Hi-Fi stores are electronics and small appliances stores, which is the largest store format by store numbers.
JB Hi-Fi Home stores are similar to JB Hi-Fi stores, selling electronics and small appliances, although JB Hi-Fi Home stores are larger than traditional stores, and sell large appliances, such as fridges, washing machines, dryers and dishwashers etc. The concept was first tried in late 2012, with some existing stores being converted to JB Hi-Fi Home stores.
JB Hi-Fi Express stores is a concept store launched in October 2019, as a smaller version of the traditional JB Hi-Fi store, with a focus on mobile products, and less focus on appliances, computers or televisions. The first store opened in Southbank, Victoria.

Acquisitions

In July 2004, JB Hi-Fi bought 70% of the Clive Anthonys chain in Queensland.
On 13 December 2006, JB Hi-Fi acquired the Hill and Stewart chain of 11 electronics stores selling and operating in New Zealand for NZ$17.5 million. JB Hi-Fi later established stores under their own JB Hi-Fi brand, and closed all Hill and Stewart stores in 2010.
In September 2016, JB Hi-Fi announced its acquisition of The Good Guys, for $870 million, the acquisition resulted in JB Hi-Fi group enlarging its share of the Australian home appliances retail market to 29% and growing its share of the consumer electronics retail market to 24%.

Controversies

In September 2015, a man with Down Syndrome was refused entry into a JB Hi-Fi store in Brisbane, Australia, after being confused for another person who had been banned from the store. The resulting media attention resulted in the CEO Richard Murray publicly apologizing to the family.