Woolworths unveils its next generation supermarkets

Posted by Andrea Hogan on 31st January 2018

Woolworths has unveiled its next generation of supermarkets with the opening of a new Woolworths Metro in Marrickville, Sydney.

The new store is the largest individual investment by Woolworths in a store renewal since it began its 2015 store renewal program.

Woolworths Metro Marrickville offers customers a range of new Woolworths’ products and experiences including picking ‘living lettuce’ from a hydroponic setup, a cheese cave, an entire isle dedicated to organic food and flame-roasted chicken.

Other store features include a ready-to-go food section and pick-up lockers for customers who want to shop online.

Woolworths Supermarkets Managing Director, Claire Peters, said the Marrickville store marks the next evolution of Woolworths’ journey to create a neighbourhood food store that provides a “great shopping experience”.

“Our teams have spent a great deal of time understanding how our customers like to shop, looked across the globe for inspiration and designed the store with the local customer at the forefront to create this next generation grocery shopping experience,” Peters said.

“Every possible angle and aisle in this process has been revisited and the result is a rustic yet future-proof design with a real community spirit.”

Environmental issues have been taken into consideration in designing the new store format with LED lights used and carbon-efficient refrigeration and air-conditioning a feature.

Breakdown of Woolworths’ next generation stores

A complete breakdown of Woolworths new store concept includes:

Produce – Living Lettuce corner with hydroponic growing setup
Deli – Designed for entertainers, customers can pick up cured meats sliced to order, olives from an expanded olive bar or select from over 200 cheeses in the cheese cave
Flame-Roasted Chicken – For the first time, Woolworths is doing flame-roasted chicken
Bakery – Customers will be able to order custom-made party cakes
Butcher – In-store butchers will be able to cut or mince meat to order
Macro Wholefoods Market – Over 200 certified organic lines, loose nuts, seeds and grains and an expanded gluten-free range
Sushi – Sushi can be made to order and catering platters can be ordered
Pick Up – For those who choose to shop online and pick up their orders in-store, there are Pick Up lockers located at the front of the store
Ready to Go – ‘Ready to Create’ bags which are available in the Ready to Go section is a new meal kit concept offering convenience for customers who want to cook recipes from scratch without having to shop for all the individual ingredients separately.