Reddrop Group COO Lincoln Wymer and store manager Gemma Webster welcomed customers to Estella FoodWorks during its soft launch on Tuesday. Photo: Jarryd Rowley.
After almost 12 years of planning, Estella now has its first supermarket and Wagga’s fourth FoodWorks is open for business.
The new supermarket, which opened its doors on Tuesday (26 September), is the first operating storefront at the recently completed Estella Central Shopping Centre.
The FoodWorks branch includes a new deli with meat supplied by the Lake Village Butchery, a sushi bar and a bottle shop.
Reddrop Group (FoodWorks’ parent company) COO Lincoln Wymer said staff had worked for almost eight weeks to prepare the store and adjust to the layout before the soft launch.
“We got our first stock on Saturday (23 September) and since then we’ve had a lot of sleepless nights making sure shelves are packed and ready for today’s opening,” he said.
“There has already been quite a number of people walking through the doors this morning and showing their excitement at having a new store.
“A lot of people here have been very eager to have a supermarket out in this part of town and we’re more than happy to give it to them.”
While it will be several weeks before more stores open, many shoppers have already expressed their excitement at having a new shopping centre in Wagga’s fastest-growing suburb.
Estella resident Toby Hoskins said he and many other residents were relieved that they no longer had to make the journey across the Gobba Bridge to buy groceries.
“The new centre is a fantastic new addition to our community and one that a lot of people have been calling out for for a number of years now,” he said.
“With the new school, the uni just down the road and the increasing number of people moving here, it really is a great investment for the Estella community.”
Raine & Horne agent Craig Tait said there had been pressure to provide the best possible facility for Estella residents but with the opening of the centre’s first store, fears could be put to rest.
“Estella Central has come up a treat,” Mr Tait said.
“This is a great opportunity for Estella. It is a really high-quality and physically good-looking supermarket, which in my opinion may just be the best in Wagga.
“It has been installed with all the latest technology and innovations to allow for occupants and customers alike to have the best experiences possible and is something everyone should be excited about.”
Mr Tait said new stores including a cafe, a Snap Fitness gym, a sushi bar, a takeaway shop and a barber would be added to the centre within the coming weeks.
“Now that we’ve got the supermarket open, some of the other stores will start to fill up,” he said.
“We have one more vacancy at the moment. The location has been something a lot of people have been asking for for a long time now and if it continues to be as popular as it is today at the soft launch, it will only continue to grow.”
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