The building is significant in its ability to illustrate the planning of Sydney's early commercial area, as well as the layout, design and methods of construction of typical commercial and residential accommodation of the period. Continuously occupied for smallscale commercial use from the time of their construction up to the present day, Unwin's Stores offers a valuable glimpse into the nature of business across a 145-year period.
As much of the original building fabric survives and the building retains its essential architectural character, Unwin's Stores is of archaeological and aesthetic significance, offering an important material and visual resource for investigating and understanding the past.
Unwin's Stores is also of its significance for its association with early Chinese migration to NSW, having housed a number of long-established and well-known Chinese businesses since the mid-19th century.
