A decision by retail giant Woolworths to close a Big W distribution centre east of Adelaide is a significant blow to the region, South Australian Treasurer Rob Lucas says.
More than 200 jobs could be lost with the closure of the Monarto facility, one of two such centres and 30 Big W stores to go across the country.
Mr Lucas says it's hoped Woolworths will be able to find new job opportunities within its network for the SA workers affected.
"Clearly Woolworths is a massive company and there should be some capacity for redeployment and retraining within the group," the treasurer told reporters on Monday.
"Ultimately this is a commercial decision that has been taken by a private sector player which will have a significant impact on those individual workers and families."
The Monarto warehouse is slated to close in the 2021 financial year.
Mr Lucas said that would give workers unable to find new positions with Woolworths time to look for other jobs.
At this time the state government does not intend to offer any direct financial help.
The treasurer said while there was potentially a significant number of positions to go, someone losing their job with Big W was no different to someone losing their job with a local cafe or smaller store.
He said the decision by Woolworths to close Big W stores was also a reflection of the increased competition from the online retail industry.
"One of the issues that concerns them is the influence of online trading," Mr Lucas said.
"It is an issue that bricks and mortar retailers are increasingly having to confront."
