COM: Harbourtown Stage 3 Expansion

[JamesXander]

I went to Woolworths at Harbourtown yesterday and it was quite an experience. First of all, it is brand new, and it feels nice to walk into a brand new supermarket.

All the shelves, floors, cool fridges are all brand new, so items are all nicely stacks and they look nicer too. Anyway, the most outstanding feature is the self check-out counters. I am not sure if this is the first in SA, however, I gave it a try and I think it makes more sense to do it yourself as you have the ability to pack the stuffs yourself, and you do not have to wait in the line (provided these check-outs are not fully utilised).

This self check-out counter even takes your cash and coins, which I think is a featured technology desperately needed not just for these check-outs but across all vending/ticketing machine such as car park ticket machines.

Big W parabanks have had those self serve checkouts for a couple of months also. i am guessing they will become a common feature in supermarkets over the next couple of yeras.

[pushbutton]

Whenever I've used self serve checkouts I have found myself waiting longer than I would for a traditional checkout, because either there's something wrong with the checkout, or there's something wrong with the people in front of me using them!

One problem I've experienced myself is that if you have quite a few items, and you put them through and then remove some of them from the bagging area to make space for the rest, the system won't let you continue and tells you to put the items back in the bagging area.

I assume this is a security feature to prevent theft (although I can't quite figure out how because the system knows the items in the bagging area will be paid for so what does it matter if they're put in a trolley after being scanned?) but it does seem to mean the self serve checkouts are only good for purchases of a few small items really.

Anyone else had this issue?

[Punishment466]

You need to wait for the three lights above the scanner to turn green from red to remove your bag from the area.

It takes a few seconds for the system to recognise the weight of the item you put in the bag, so if you take it off to quickly it'll think you haven't put it in the bag.

[pushbutton]

That's interesting. I'll try that then next time. I don't think most people would realise that!

[JamesXander]

This is complete now haha.


Although I can report the Northern Extension hasnt gone as well as planned. There are still quite a few empty shops. And I have heard a rumour that Woolworths is really struggling. And perhaps they will convert to a Big W.

For mine, the issue is the the design and the carparkings. Woolworths is almost hidden within the centre, and the carparking at the supermarket enterance is no sufficient. Thus people go to the other end.


I do know that alot of shops within the centre are struggling though, so will be intersting to see how this all pans out.

[Xaragmata]

This is complete now haha.


Although I can report the Northern Extension hasnt gone as well as planned. There are still quite a few empty shops. And I have heard a rumour that Woolworths is really struggling. And perhaps they will convert to a Big W.

For mine, the issue is the the design and the carparkings. Woolworths is almost hidden within the centre, and the carparking at the supermarket enterance is no sufficient. Thus people go to the other end.


I do know that alot of shops within the centre are struggling though, so will be intersting to see how this all pans out.

Woolworths will face "competition" from its Bay Junction store later this year, so they may hold on til then & convert to Big W. It would make it easier if the "admin" entrance was made public - people don't buy anything from a 300 meter long blank wall while walking to the entrances.

[pushbutton]

Woolworths is hardly hidden. You can see the massive sign on the outside wall from Sir Donald Bradman Drive.

I don't like the design (or lack thereof) of the little bit of the mall that is sort of undercover though. Looks like it was an afterthought, or they just shoved a roof on it to hide something even uglier.

[crawf]

From day one the biggest problem with Woolworths, is there is not enough car parks. So even if it was converted to a Big W, carparking is still going to be an issue.

Stage 4 - 2 level carpark?

[pushbutton]

I must say I'm very surprised to hear that Woolworths store is not doing well. It was intended by Woolworths that it would be their flagship store in SA (so presumably more profitable than any of their other SA stores, not less!)

Also, besides the carparking issues, I'd say that store is probably a bit on the small side to convert to Big W. It's small for a supermarket too in my opinion because I'm used to British supermarkets, but it is just about big enough for an Australian supermarket, just not a Big W in my opinion.

If it was able to be made big enough and converted to a Big W though, I'd have thought it would probably do quite well because the nearest other Big W is Marion or Arndale or Cross Road, all of which are at least 15 minutes drive away, whereas there's numerous other Woolworths stores very close to harbourtown.

[JamesXander]

Alot of the stores in the existing stage 1 & stage 2 areas have had declining sales for the last couple of years. So it must also be a whole centre thing. Alot of the shops are struggling.


Perhaps the novelty has worn off to an extent, and the new extentsion has just stretched sales even thinner. I dunno. Hopefully something is done to fix it though

[pushbutton]

Maybe people have caught on to the fact that the prices in Harbourtown aren't all that much different to anywhere else, and feel they've been misled. Therefore plenty of people are still going (the carparks usually full) but they're not necessrily spending, just looking.

[Allkai]

And I have heard a rumour that Woolworths is really struggling. And perhaps they will convert to a Big W.

I have heard from somebody that works there that it is closing.

Don't know the time frame though.

[JamesXander]

I think people need to be realistic about HabourTown. There are some shops that really are outlet stores. However, there are over 100 stores in the centre and more and more of them are just generic stores.

As for Woolies closing. If they dont find a replacement that could literally kill the centre. or atleast the northern end. I am sure the landlord would have written in a 5 year lease at the minimum though. so its either massive payout to HT or replacement Big W

[pushbutton]

Surely they wouldn't have made a decision to close it yet. They haven't even given it enough time to establish itself and get a regular customer base going.

I also think they'd be in a lease with a longer term than 5 years. In most shopping centres the minimum lease for a major store is about 30 years.

[Ben]

MY best mate is the assistant store manager at this store and said these rumours are the biggest load of rubbish he has ever heard.