Spotlight Group Holdings Pty Ltd (SGH) is an Australian retail conglomerate and one of the country's largest private companies. Its Spotlight Retail Group division operates fabric and craft store chain Spotlight, outdoor retailers Anaconda and Mountain Designs, and department store chain Harris Scarfe. The first Spotlight store was established in Melbourne in 1973 by brothers Morry Fraid and Ruben Fried.
History
The Spotlight Group was founded by Ruben and Vivienne Fried in 1973. Ruben’s brother, Morry Fraid, joined in 1976, establishing a partnership that would go on to create some of Australia’s most recognised retail brands.[1] Brothers Morry Fraid and Ruben Fried, whose names were spelled differently due to a mistake by their teachers, immigrated to Australia from Israel in 1956 with their parents, who established a fabric stall at the Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne. The first Spotlight store was opened in 1973 in Malvern. By 1990 there were 30 stores across Australia and the company was turning over about A$90 million, with the brothers' net worth estimated by the Australian Financial Review as about A$30 million.