All quiet in Maleny
Sunshine Coast Daily
By CANDICE HOLZNAGEL
SIX months since its doors opened, the Maleny Woolworths supermarket aisles
remain relatively empty.
It’s 10am on a Thursday and the shelves are full, two check-outs are
operating and about nine customers quietly peruse the aisles.
Less than 150 metres up the street at Maleny’s IGA, about 20 staff members
herd the 20-plus customers through the four operating check-outs.
On average 13,000 customers file in and out of the small business each week.
Woolworths would not reveal visitor numbers.
IGA employs 100 staff members while Maleny’s Woolworths has 50 on its
books.
It seems the community protest against Woolies moving into the quiet
hinterland town is slow to recede.
Months have not healed the wounds and anger of the hinterland residents.
Protesters say tens of thousands of Woolworths and Big W catalogues have been
returned from Australian mailboxes in response to the Maleny controversy.
Trolleys are still being filled with groceries and left unpaid in the aisles.
Campaigns, codes of conduct, watchdog groups, internet websites tracking
Woolworths’ and protesters’ movements are in full swing.
Dolina Somerville is a spokesperson for the Australian WOF-ers group –
Woolworths Operation Feedback – which aims to send as many catalogues back to
the food giant as possible.
The group’s “code of conduct” includes a ban on bad language and
dangerous substances such as “white powder’’.
Fellow Woolworths protester Margie Cronin is a mother, wife, published poet
and has a swag of degrees including a Bachelor of Law.
“I basically have a problem with modern capitalistic crap,’’ she said.
“I don’t eat McDonald’s.
“It’s (Woolworths) a social issue, cultural issue, environment issue,
commercial issue.
“Do you think if you or I wanted to build on the creek, we would be allowed
to?”
Both women have refused to shop at Woolworths.
“I stepped foot in there for the first time last week,’’ Ms Somerville
said.
“I personally met the manager and returned the brochure that comes to my
letterbox each week and completed the form so theoretically I won’t receive
any more.”
Woolworths Maleny manager David Halliwell declined to comment, but a
Woolworths spokesperson said the store was trading “exactly in line” with
expectations.
“We always envisaged that it would take time to build up a strong customer
base but we are seeing a high rate of repeat customers and this will continue to
grow,” the spokesperson said.
“Woolworths is committed to Maleny for the long-term.”
As for long-running rumours Woolworths staff are asked to park at the front
of the store in a bid to fill the often empty car park, the spokesperson said
they did not dictate where staff should park”.
But it’s no secret residents are making things difficult. People openly
admitted to the Daily they have taken part in the “trolley challenge” –
and not only in Maleny.
Protesters right across Australia are reportedly filing trolleys and leaving
notes in them.
According to some, the anti-shopping campaign is wearing away. A young
employee of Maleny Woolworths – who wants to remain anonymous – told the
Daily that business was starting to improve.
“More and more locals are starting to shop here,” they said.
“You see people driving in with the ‘We Won’t Shop There’ stickers
but they shop here.’’
Long-term resident Jenny Ruddle isn’t afraid to admit she shops at both IGA
and Woolworths.
And neither is fellow resident Mick Walsh.
A dairy farmer’s wife, Mrs Ruddle said Woolworths was the only local place
people could buy the milk about six local farmers supplied to the National Foods
company.
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