Farewell Woolies: Neutral Bay shoppers reflect on 47 memorable years.
Woolworths Neutral Bay, shortly before its Grosvenor St grand opening in 1978. Image: Mosman Collective.
By ANNA USHER
Want to journey back in time and see what Woolies in Neutral Bay looked like over its 47-year history on Grosvenor St?
Today, Mosman Collective publishes a very special photo essay showcasing the store’s evolution since its grand opening in 1978.
In the 1970s you could buy a frozen chicken for just $2.59 and people “dressed up” to do the groceries. Image: Mosman Collective.
Once a community cornerstone, Woolies arrived in Neutral Bay long before self-service checkouts, milk in plastic bottles, recyclable shopping bags and frozen meals.
When it closed this week after almost half a century, local shoppers came out in force, leaving more than 700 messages of support for the 150 staff members, many of them considered “family”.
“I have been shopping in the Neutral Bay store for 40 years, and I am so sad to see it go,” Irene McMaster told Mosman Collective, “I can remember pushing my children around in the old trolleys of the 1970s – and now I am a grandmother.”
“It really is the end of an era.”
Woolworths Neutral Bay customers in 1978.
Shoppers rush to be first through the doors on opening day.
While the store’s location has remained the same over more than four decades, the consumer experience – and shopping expectations of customers – have changed dramatically.
“Believe it or not, people used to dress up to do the supermarket shopping,” 78-year-old Woolies shopper Robyn White told Mosman Collective this week.
“These days, it’s not unusual to see young women buying groceries wearing nothing but a bikini. And sometimes they are even barefoot!”
TAKE A LOOK AT OUR EXCLUSIVE PHOTO GALLERY!
NSW Supermarkets Operations Director Matt Spiteri told Mosman Collective that all Woolies Neutral Bay team members have been redeployed to North Shore and CBD stores.
“The store team and myself would like to thank the local community for their incredible support over those years to make it such a welcoming environment for all,” he said.
“I’d like to also give a special thanks to our store team for serving the community so diligently and working hard to accommodate every customer’s needs.”
Woolworths Neutral Bay after a re-brand in the 1990s. Image: Mosman Collective.
Meanwhile, Coles is set to re-open inside the vacated building in April, after undergoing a “short-term re-brand of the site.”
Alongside the refurb, the supermarket will deliver a host of new features, including an open-front bakery, fresh seafood on ice, and a wide selection of deli items, fruit, vegetables, and meat.
There will also be “grab-and-go” meals, ready-made options catering to busy families, and an in-store sushi counter.
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