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Tag: big W

  • Australia Probes Shenzhen Qingcheng over HeyCyan Smart Glasses App

    Australia Probes Shenzhen Qingcheng over HeyCyan Smart Glasses App

    Australia’s privacy regulator announced on Wednesday that it has launched an investigation into Shenzhen Qingcheng Future Technology, the maker of the HeyCyan smart glasses application sold through retailers including Big W Marketplace and Amazon.

    The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) had been monitoring the rollout of smart glasses since early 2026 before receiving a formal request from the Attorney-General in August to examine the privacy implications of the devices.

    Regulator Demands Answers on Recording and Storage

    The OAIC opened the probe after Shenzhen Qingcheng failed to respond to inquiries sent to manufacturers and distributors, including Meta, Google and Kmart, regarding how camera-equipped eyewear records information, who can access it and where data is stored.

    Global tech majors including Meta and Google received the same questions alongside retailer Kmart. Unlike those firms, the China-based software maker did not provide the requested disclosures. Customers must download the software for full functionality across multiple hardware models distributed under varied merchant labels.

    Retailers Face Hardware Supply Chain Pressure

    For department store operators and online marketplaces, the scrutiny exposes the risks of white-label electronics sourcing. Low-cost wearable tech often relies on overseas third-party software vendors operating outside local compliance frameworks. That dynamic leaves local retail brands carrying the reputational fallout when software fails domestic privacy audits.

    Discount retailers expanded into entry-level smart wearables throughout 2026 to compete with premium devices from consumer electronics giants. That margin advantage evaporates if chains must pull non-compliant inventory or rework product software after regulatory intervention.

    Canberra Broadens Workplace and Security Reviews

    Federal scrutiny follows an escalating review of wearable cameras across public and commercial spaces in Australia. Canberra began assessing restrictions in September 2026 on camera-enabled glasses inside government workplaces due to surveillance and data security risks.

    Monitoring originally started in early 2026. The pace accelerated following a formal request from the Attorney-General in August to scrutinise consumer privacy safeguards on optical devices.

    Next Steps for Marketplace Operators

    The OAIC is now determining whether Shenzhen Qingcheng breached Australian privacy laws during the software’s distribution. Retailers selling hardware dependent on the HeyCyan platform must decide whether to suspend device sales as the formal investigation proceeds.

  • Big W enterprise agreement clears FWC

    Big W enterprise agreement clears FWC

    The Fair Work Commission has approved discount department store Big W’s new enterprise agreement, which will cover approximately 16,000 staff members across Australia.

    Big W’s previous enterprise agreement was created in 2012, and expired in 2015.

    The new agreement includes above-award wages and conditions with wage increases each year, penalty rates, increased casual loading, choice of superannuation providers and increased entitlements to redundancy payments.

    According to the new enterprise agreement, Big W staff will be paid between $21.51 and $23.12 an hour, depending on employee seniority.

    The agreement will take effect seven days after the approval, and has a nominal expiry date of May 5, 2022.

    “With the endorsement of the [Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association] and the [Australian Workers’ Union], we put forward an agreement that delivered improved conditions for our team while also supporting the continued turnaround of our business,” A Big W spokesperson said.

    “More than 90 percent of those who voted in the ballot supported the proposal, and we look forward to delivering the benefits of the new agreement to our team members soon.”

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  • Big W to shut down 30 stores over 3 years

    Big W to shut down 30 stores over 3 years

    Department store chain Big W will close approximately 30 stores and two distribution centres over the next three years in an effort to create a more profitable and sustainable store network in a changing retail environment.

    This is less than the 60 store closures that Macquarie Wealth Management predicted in a report last month, before Big W’s parent company Woolworths Group had completed its internal review of the discount department store business.

    The decision, which will see the number of Big W stores shrink by about 16 per cent, will cost the business $270 million in lease and store exit costs. This will impact Woolworths Group’s FY19 full-year result, alongside a $100 million cash impairment identified in the review.

    “While the recovery in trading for Big W is encouraging, and there remains further opportunity for improvement, the speed of conversion to earnings improvement is taking longer than planned,” Woolworths Group chief executive Brad Banducci said in a note to investors.

    “This decision will lead to a more robust and sustainable store and DC network that better reflects the rapidly changing retail environment. It will accelerate our turnaround plan through a more profitable store network, simplifying current business processes, improving stockflow and lowering inventory.”

    In its report last month, Macquarie noted that half of Big W’s stores are located in challenging centres, many of which are regional, and that these locations are unlikely to give the brand the sales it needs to return to profitability.

    Woolworths expects its department store business to record a loss before interest and tax for FY19 of $80 to $100 million, slightly below the $110 million loss felt in FY18.