Retail landlords caught in the collapse of electronics retailer Dick Smith have been urged to approach the thriving Jaycar Electronics retail chain.
Jaycar boss, and former Dick Smith marketing director Gary Johnston has launched an ad campaign in The Australian Financial Review, encouraging landlords with leases to Dick Smith to ring for a "confidential no-obligation discussion" about their premises.
He told the AFR he would be pleased to pick up half a dozen former Dick Smith premises.
"We're already in negotiations with a number of landlords," he said.
"We're interested in the retail strips and good, free-standing sites, but not the shopping centres.
"The great bulk of our customers are men, who have a deep-seated dislike of shopping centres."
About a fifth of the Dick Smith stores in Australia and New Zealand are in the malls of the country's two biggest mall landlords, Westfield owner Scentre Group and Vicinity Centres.
Jaycar more than 90 stores in Australia and New Zealand.
"I've been around long enough see the threat of the dotcom business, but I believe we are still a nation of shopkeepers and I still have faith in bricks and mortar retail," Mr Johnston said.
"We have a big website and our customers are tech savvy, but they love to come in and have a browse around."
Mr Johnston said the Jaycar business owned about half its retail premises.