Aleksandra Spaseska advances Kmart Australia Checkouts Relocation for 16 stores
Kmart Australia checkouts relocation is moving ahead in two dozen Australian stores, with cash registers going back to store entrances under a new Plan C+ format. Aleksandra Spaseska said 16 of the roughly 300 Kmarts in Australia had already been converted, giving the chain an early test of the new layout.
The Kmart Group managing director said on Wednesday the format includes entry and exit gates and relocated cash registers. Kmart Group expects to have 40 stores trading in the new format by the end of 2026/27.
Plan C+ at Kmart
The change reverses a setup Kmart used from 2012 to 2015, when it moved cash registers to the middle of its stores. The new rollout follows customer pressure on that earlier layout and puts the checkout area back near the front of the shop in stores being refurbished.
Spaseska said the new format is “It is delivering improved space allocation, better visual merchandising, and an enhanced beauty experience” and that the company is using the changes to refine how stores operate. For shoppers, the practical effect is a different front-of-store path in the locations already converted, with more set to follow as refurbishments continue.
Box Hill K Home
The checkout changes sit alongside a broader store reset. Kmart will open a new K Home concept store in Box Hill next week, using a standalone home and furniture destination to trial a more immersive format with curated displays and room-based inspiration.
Spaseska said the trial is “It is designed to test whether we can unlock a bigger home opportunity through a through a more immersive format that showcases the breadth of the Anko range in a way our full line stores cannot” and that, “We will use the trial to learn quickly, refine the model, and assess the longer term opportunity.” The store will also show products that are online-only because of space constraints in traditional Kmart stores.
Kmart's wider rollout
Kmart is also building out its online and supply-chain operations. Its online marketplace opened in May 2025 and now features 130,000 products from 90 sellers, while its 10-hectare automated customer fulfilment centre in Moorebank remains on time and on budget and is expected to open in 2027/28.
Spaseska said customers had become more discerning and value-conscious in recent months. “We can see from all of our customer data, households are very much focused on cost of living,” she said, adding, “It is the number one issue on their mind, and thinking about how they make household budgets work and how they find more value is really critical.”
For customers, the near-term change is at the store entrance: 16 sites already use the new format, two dozen more are due for refurbishment, and Kmart is aiming to have 40 stores trading that way by the end of 2026/27.
