JB Hi-Fi grows into the first quarter, launches ‘on-demand’ delivery service

Dean Blake

30th Oct 2020

JB Hi-Fi continued its FY20 growth streak into FY21, with shuttered Melbourne stores having little impact on its 27.3 per cent total sales growth in Australia during the first quarter.

Stablemate The Good Guys saw growth of 30.9 per cent, compared to a 0.5 per cent retraction in sales during 1QFY20, though JB New Zealand didn’t fare as well: Down 2.5 per cent, compared to last year’s 3.8 per cent growth.

“Our online businesses have continued to scale and meet the needs of our customers in a period where restrictions have impacted their ability to visit our stores,” CEO Richard Murray said.

“This online growth combined with continued sales momentum in stores across the rest of Australia, has resulted in a strong start to FY21 and positions us well as we enter the key Christmas trading period.”

The business’ Melbourne stores were reopened on October 28, and are now working to meet the customer demand built up by months in effective hibernation.

One way the business seeks to do this is by trialing a new “on demand” delivery service, which has seen 75 SUV’s take to the streets of Victoria, driven by JB Hi-Fi staff members, to deliver goods to customers on the same day they order.

And, as Murray told The Australian’s E-commerce Summit earlier this week according to Itnews, a three-hour rushed courier delivery service is now available in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.

However, Murray stressed that while the business is pleased with the beginning to the year it is still taking stock of the uncertainty surrounding the market in general, and isn’t yet willing to provide sales guidance for FY21.