By Claire Reilly

The first Masters store for the ACT region is set to open in Canberra’s Majura Park retail district in the coming months, just around the corner from the Costco warehouse that opened next to the airport last year.

The new Masters big box store will boast a 13,500 square metre footprint, and will join other retail shopfronts owned by Woolworths Limited. These include a 400 square metre Dick Smith outlet, a 5000 square metre Woolworths supermarket, and Australia’s first Mark 9 Big W store, which is the latest incarnation of the retailer's store fitout and layout, occupying 8000 square metres of floor space. All three stores are set to open in April this year.

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The new Masters warehouse is set to stock some 35,000 products and, according to Woolworths’ community relations manager Simon Berger, it will be a drawcard for the Canberra region.

“Masters will provide competition and offer more choice for local people who take pride in maintaining and improving their homes,” said Berger.

“We are maintaining an element of surprise, but are confident Masters will raise the bar when it comes to range, value, service and shopping experience,” he said. “Our team of around 150 will have extensive training to bring a new level of service, in a nicer shopping environment.”

When Masters opens, the total area of the Majura Park retail precinct will have more than doubled in size since the opening of Costco, covering a footprint of 63,464 square metres. Specialising in larger format stores, the precinct will include expansive Supré, Petbarn and Pillow talk homewares stores, as well as a new medical centre, by late 2012.

A first look at Masters' new big box retail outlet, which is set to open up near Canberra Airport in July.