CopperArt

Copperart was a chain of retail stores in Australia selling mostly homewares type products.

The origins of the store can be traced back to Melbourne's Croydon flea market in 1978. On 1 August 1979, Mr & Mrs Van Roest opened their first Copperart store on Canterbury Road, Blackburn, Victoria.

Initially, Copperart sold mostly copper and brass products but the company expanded in the 1990s to include a broader range of homewares.

Copperart used the voice of Pete Smith (Australian Radio & Television Announcer) as its voiceover man in commercials during the 1990s. Pete Smith is probably best remembered for his voiceovers on "Sale of the Century". "

In the late 1990s, Copperart changed its trading name to Homeart. It was believed that the "Copperart" name implied only a small range of copper and copper related products (which it had originally sold and which, in a way, may have stigmatised the store), when in fact the store sold a wide range of products such as clocks (including grandfather type clocks), electrical, homeware, dolls, furniture, sports & leisure and outdoor. [http://jobs.careerone.com.au/texis/company?compid=4706173b42a40.html CareerOne ] ]

Homeart continues to trade in Australia with over 140 stores employing over 750 staff. According to the Homeart website, the stores are "brimming with inspirational gift ideas, affordable everyday essentials and innovative home decorating products". [http://www.homeart.com.au/about_company.html]

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