Took over immediately after Sisters Supa IGA closed. Has been there maybe 3, 4 years?
I always thought if one of these indepedent supermarkets decided to run extended hours 6am - Midnight to 24/7 at Lakeside it might have worked, but they always operate the same hours as the other majors, even on weekends.
It was an unusual choice considering a large format FJs exists down the road at Currambine.
Oh i didnât know Sisters closed. Fits the timeline of me being away from Perth. Interesting.
Obviously, they can use it but wasnât Farmer Jacks an independent brand that was absorbed into IGA when all the independents became IGA stores in the 2000s? My local IGA was a Farmer Jacks before it was rebranded (Previously had been a Rules and a Dewsons)
Was never absorbed or part of the old FAL portfolio of brands. It was affiliated with east coast based Foodworks for several years, but that seems to have ended, and a few locations have bounced around between Foodworks and FJs branding over the last couple decades. If your local has changed between IGA and FJs, it generally means theyâve changed affiliations to or from IGA.
A lot of new FJs branded locations have opened in recent years.
Only seen one when it replaced the Coles at Phoenix Park in Spearwood.
That makes sense then. Always seemed odd they would advertise Farmer Jacks on TV here when they pretty much mostly got replaced by IGA in the 2000s.
Says it closed in 2018
He said the decision to close was not easy and came down to financial reasons.
âThe influence of Aldi and the reaction of Coles and Woolworths to Aldi has been a factor,â he said.
âAlso the downturn in the WA economy.
âOur business partners really donât have a competitive model that will allow us to compete.â
You canât really compare Target Country with Big W.
Target Country were mainly the old Fosseys stores, and in a lot of cases the only change from Fosseys was the sign on the door. They didnât stock the same range as a regular Target - just clothes and some homewares from memory. Harris Scarfe is probably the closest comparison.
K-Hub is a smarter use of those spaces.
I think the only small format Big W is the new one in Sydney Town Hall.
Iâm noticing less specials though so hard to stock up on specials when they arenât putting things on as much . Chobani Yoghurt on special for $2 save 25 cents is hardly a special.
After a huge price rise in February, Pepsi Max 30 cans went from $19 to $32 at Woolies and Coles.
A few weeks later they dropped to $22 and have been promoted as âPrices Droppedâ or âDown Downâ since then.
Now, Pepsi Max 30 has been out of stock at Woolies for two weeks and suddenly, the price has risen again at Coles to $28.
The 2 Litre bottles seem to have changed too - at least in Vic with no bottle deposit they were $2.00 for ages, went to $2.20 earlier in the year and now in the last few weeks shot up to $2.80.
Oddly IGAâs âPrice Promiseâ at my local is still at the $2.20 pricing, but I assume not for long.
You just get the sense theyâve decided everyone will blame âinflationâ and deciding to take a price bump while theyâd hide in the crowd.
The Big W above the flagship Sydney Town Hall Woolworths is now open. Looks schmick. Strangely itâs only across one floor. The escalators to the level above have a hoarding around them. I wonder if the old cafeteria is still being redeveloped or whether they are just going to use that floor for more storage?
One really bad thing is a giant video wall which they have installed in front of the escalators which gives off so much heat. 
Such a bad idea having that near food. I could feel that heat from three aisles away. In summer itâs going to turn that supermarket into a sauna.
Canât recall where I read it but someone messaged Big Dubs about the upper level and the response was it was going to be used for storage.
I rang Big W who has informed me in Yeppoon Qld they have ceased direct to boot as it was deemed âunsafeâ the area to pick it up. It also isnât available anymore in North Rockhampton or Gladstone when you choose options . Seems odd it was running for so long if it has now been deemed unsafe .
Itâs got a fair bit of stock on the one floor. Theyâve certainly utilised the space better than the old Woolworths had. A lot of staff in there today. More staff than customers. 
Seemed to be some training going on around the cash registers.
Puma Energy Murdoch and Byford have been converted to Caltex here in Perth
What Iâve noticed is that the whole site shuts down for a month to do the conversion. I think thereâs a lot more to do with the Puma to Caltex conversion unlike the Caltex to Ampol conversion.
Murdoch Conversion below
Most Ampol conversions are just a repaint and canopy badge replacements, pump sticker replacements and replacement of the store paneling to Foodary livery, except in some cases where those stores are earmarked to be converted to a Woolworths Metrogo, which in those cases requires closing the store for a month or two for interior refurbishment, whilst putting a demountable nearby as the shop.
Looks like most of the old Puma Super 7 / 7th Street Cafe shops are going to get a full refurb, even if theyâre not that old in the first place. Forecourt / Canopy renovations seem basic.
Theyâve gone all out with these. New canopy lighting, bulky bollards and toppers, complete facelift of the shopfront. I reckon theyâll eventually tone down the design as the rollout progresses though, especially if theyâre needing a month to convert sites. Something that doesnât need much more than a sign change and paint job over the Puma colours.
