Establishing new styles of shopping

Press, 5 December 1988, Page 24

Establishing new styles of shopping

Supermarkets were starting to revolutionise the weekly grocery shopping when Woolworths opened in Shirley on December 10, 1968. On the first day Woolworths staff served more than 9000 customers.

Some people, however, thought that supermarkets would introduce impersonalised shopping very unlike the traditional corner grocer. Nothing could have been further from the truth. For many people, shopping at the supermarket is an important weekly event and, for some retired people, the supermarket is an outing to look forward to. Shoppers have been known to spend up to four hours at their supermarket.

Supermarkets dramatically changed shopping trends. If shoppers were going to a supermarket in reasonable numbers, then it was worth providing other shopping and service facilities as well. The Woolworths super-

market in Shirley was the beginning of a very comprehensive shopping expansion on a large block at the corner of Marshland Road and New Brighton Road.

In addition to a vast selection of groceries, shoppers can purchase almost anything at Shirley. There are also banking facilities and one can even plan an overseas holiday at the travel agent. Another popular facility is the abundance of carparking within the complex.

Woolworths was established in Australia 53 years ago when the first “Woolworths" sign was set up in the heart of Sydney. Today, the company has a widely known trading name in Australia and New Zealand. Woolworths in New Zealand became a New Zealand-owned company in 1980. The firm was then split into two separate companies. One became involved in supermarkets while the other set up variety stores.