An Australian consultancy has been engaged to develop a big box liquor retailing chain set to be rolled out across major Chinese cities.

Retail Oasis, established just three months ago by Steve Kulmar (pictured), founder and for 28 years head of IdeaWorks, started work on the Chinese project in November.

Kulmar told Inside Retailing the Chinese operator already has one store in China, which will be completely redesigned before the new concept is rolled out across at east the top 10 Chinese cities.
The project will combine western approaches to big box liquor retailing with an offer suited to the Chinese market - and to the growing appreciation of and demand for wine there.
It's one of a raft of projects Kulmar's new venture has secured since he left Ideaworks on June 30 - a year after he sold his stake in the company. His restraint of trade lasted just one day.
"So I took the 1st of July off and then started on Retail Oasis," he said.

A team of six now work from Retail Oasis' head office atop a building in central Manly with views of Sydney Harbour and the surf of Manly Beach.

Other projects include developing a new in-store format for book chain Angus & Robinson that redefined the retailer's position without compromising the offer its recently-acquired sister brand, the Borders big box stores. Kulmar says the first stores converted were "trading beyond belief" in their first few weeks after opening.