Peter Huskins takes a sneaky peek at some major new refurbishment initiatives at Woolworths Carringbah, in response to the Coles refresh program.
From the outset let me state that this store has only opened stage one of a major refurb so the comments are not based on looking at a complete “new” store, but on one where there are still builders walking around looking busy, hoardings and plastic sheets covering the next stages and a centre store Grocery area that is yet to be touched.
But the word on the street is that this refurb is Woolies response to the Coles refresh program, so looking at the first stage as an indicator of what is to come is a fair and worthwhile exercise and relevant for industry discussion, especially when it covers most of the Fresh depts – and they are the key depts in a Shoppers mind that they use to determine their store of choice. So from a rollout/ on-going perspective this store is an important indicator of the evolving competitive playing field.
Also Woolies are using their local Shopper data base to publicise that fact that in their view certain of the Fresh Depts are open for trade and in their “final” positions and layouts etc .
New fresh departments at Woolworths Caringbah
Hi XXXX,
We’ve got some great news about the renovations at Woolworths Caringbah! Our new fruit and vegetable, deli and seafood departments are now open.
The new market-style fresh produce department is now lighter and brighter with wider aisles, giving you a better view of our delicious, quality produce and our great specials that you can enjoy every week.
There’s an exciting new deli with a greater range of local and international gourmet cheeses and delicious fresh cooked chickens. The seafood section now brings you live mussels – nothing comes fresher than that!
Thanks again for your patience during the renovations, and don’t forget to visit to take advantage of your 50% extra Qantas Frequent Flyer points offer!
We look forward to seeing you in-store soon,
Kris
Store Manager
Woolworths Caringbah
So game on for us to comment!
Looking through the obvious refurb mayhem, this store does not have the theatre or the market feel in the Fresh depts of the new Coles stores, it is certainly not a generation or two ahead.
They have moved and centralised Cheese and Smallgoods from the Dairy to the front of the Deli area, Proprietary Bread will obviously join in store Bakery at the entrance when it opens and they have used new fixtures, signage and educational prompts in Produce.
Plus fine tuning/ new locations/ new fixtures for Seafood (live mussels) and Hot Chickens, one small demonstration cooking table and another small table at the front with assorted fruit for sale at 0.50c a piece targeting kids.
Meat is in the back left hand corner and is yet to be finished by the look of it. Macro is present with an organics Produce range – they had 21 SKU’s when I was there.
The Produce black boxes are also absent, with stock now being hand packed onto the new style of fixtures that are quite small compared to the usual Woolies store and to the new Coles offer. The Produce wall on the right as you enter looks great, plenty of colour and the housekeeping was excellent, as you would expect with all of the staff walking around, they needed something to do!
The Deli, Seafood and Poultry cases were in one straight line, with some excellent graphics on the walls behind the Depts.
But again, most of what was there had been done already and it is felt that with the changes they had lost that bulky, chunky market feel in Produce which is the most important Dept for Shopper impact and perception. Deli/ Seafood and Poultry depts. were quiet clinical in the feel and visual personality.
But at least they had some cross merchandising using small Woolies branded wooden barrels, unlike Coles that still don’t use them to add some Grocery colour to the Fresh departments and target the impulse sale / increase transaction value.
The above may change when it all comes together in July and the whole store is complete – I look forward to returning for another visit, I may be mistaken, but on first glance this offer is very good, but not ‘step change great’.
