Warrnambool's JB Hi-Fi Home Store will open to the public on Thursday, August 31.
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Almost 40 jobs have been created at the Raglan Parade store, which sells computers and technology, televisions and audio, home appliances, music and movies.
Store manager Natilie Letcher moved to Warrnambool to be closer to family after a 12-year stint at Mackay in far-north Queensland.
"I have family around in Ballarat, Melbourne and Geelong," Ms Letcher said.
Salesperson Amy Briggs said she also made the move to the store for family reasons - for a better work/life balance to spend more time with her four-year-old daughter.
She previously worked as bar manager at Warrnambool restaurant Bundy's Bar and Bites, assistant manager at department store Dimmeys and Supercheap Auto.
Melbourne-based manager Hannah Brooks, who is assisting the Warrnambool staff through the opening, said 36 of the staff members were from the south-west.
She said they we selected from 500 applications which were cut down to 100 people with group interviews in June.
Ms Brooks said the staff had worked through August to stock shelves.
She said customers no longer had to travel to the closest stores in Waurn Ponds and Ballarat.
"Every time we talk to people in the community and I go to my local coffee shop and talk to someone from Warrnambool, they're all keen as," Ms Brooks said.
"Everyone's so excited.
She said JB Hi-Fi had wanted to open a store in Warrnambool for about five years.
"We were just waiting for the right commercial space, we've been trying to expand out this way for a long, long time," she said.
"It's a massive tourist town and it's a geographical space we haven't filled before."
She said the store offered the full catalogue, with a focus on music and media, so customers no longer had to travel to Melbourne.
The store is located next door to Warrnambool's new Officeworks store which opened on August 9 at the former site of Motel Warrnambool and Gateway Motor Inn.
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Lillian Altman
Lillian is an experienced journalist who joined Warrnambool Standard in late 2021. She has a particular interest in writing stories on the arts and culture, health, education, breaking news, police stories, as well as human interest and profiles.
Lillian is an experienced journalist who joined Warrnambool Standard in late 2021. She has a particular interest in writing stories on the arts and culture, health, education, breaking news, police stories, as well as human interest and profiles.
