Bing Lee
 | |
| Private | |
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1957 |
| Headquarters | Old Guildford NSW, Australia |
Key people | Bing Lee (Co-founder); Ken Lee (Co-founder) Lionel Lee (grandson, CEO) |
| Website | binglee.com.au |
Bing Lee is an Australian retailing company, a chain of superstores specialising in consumer electronics, computer and telecommunication goods. Bing Lee is the largest privately held electrical retail business in New South Wales with 41 stores (13 franchised) and a turnover of about $490 million.[1][2]
History
The business began when Bing Lee (Chinese: 李冰,[3] Pinyin: lǐ bīng) purchased an electrical repair business in Fairfield, New South Wales, in 1957. Lee, along with his Chinese-born son Ken Lee (Chinese: 李光裕, Pinyin: lǐ guāng yù), turned the repair business into an electrical product retail and repair/installation business named Bing Lee Electronics (Chinese: 并力电器,[4][5] Pinyin: bìng lì diàn qì).[6] Initial growth came from the surge in demand for televisions, as well as a host of other household items like washing machines, cooking equipment, heaters and audio equipment. Bing Lee was a member of Retravision NSW for a number of years before leaving and joining the Narta Group. Bing Lee opened new stores in other Sydney suburbs and across New South Wales.
Around the turn of the century, the franchisee concept was introduced to the business. Today 16 of the 40 Bing Lee retail outlets are run by franchisees.
Bing Lee also has the management rights to the "Sony Centre" concept in NSW and the ACT and currently has stores located in Chatswood, Drummoyne and World Square in Sydneys' CBD.
Bing Lee, the founder, died in 1987 (aged 79) and his eldest son Ken Lee took control of the business.[7] Ken Lee died on 21 December 2007 of cancer, aged 75. His eldest son, Lionel Lee, took over as chief executive of the company.
Sponsorships
Bing Lee sponsored the Bulldogs Rugby League Football Club until allegations that players were allegedly involved in a gang rape in Coffs Harbour. [8]
Bing Lee signed a 2-year sponsorship deal with A-League club Sydney FC in February 2007. On Sydney's Home strip the front is taken up with Bing Lee, and on the away jersey it is on the front and back of the right leg of the shorts.
In July 2009 they re-signed for another year along with Japanese electrical company Sony as Sydney FC's major sponsors.
They are also one of the major sponsors of the Sydney Swans AFL team.
They also sponsored channel 7's The Amazing Race Australia
Themes
The theme music used by the company is the Monty Python tune of I Like Chinese. They sing I like Bing Lee!
References
- ↑ "Family concern not just a jingle: Bing Lee". The Australian. 24 August 2009.
- ↑ "Bing Lee tycoon dies at 75". The Daily Telegraph. 21 December 2007.
- ↑ 澳大利亚公布今年200首富排行 施正荣榜上有名
- ↑ 已逝澳洲富豪李光裕的大儿子成并力电器新掌门人 Archived January 7, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ 澳洲富豪榜華裔占六席 兩初登榜新貴受矚目
- ↑ Note that the name of the store and the founder are not the same. "并力电器" means "Bing Lee Electronics", where 并力 is literally "combined power". This is the name of the store as displayed in Chinatown, Sydney. The actual name of the person, however, is surname 李, given name 冰. This is not a homophone, as the tones of the syllables are different.
- ↑ Bing Lee - Bing Lee - Our History Archived September 27, 2013, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2004/s1062599.htm