A box of tissues for $5.50 and $4.50 for Tim Tams: How extortionate prices at city convenience stores could be cut in HALF by new Woolworths micro stores

EMILY CRANE
21 June 2016
DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA
Woolworths has gone to war with city convenience stores by opening its own mini supermarket in Sydney as it’s revealed some small retailers are charging double the price for grocery items.
The supermarket giant opened a new Metro store measuring just 310sqm in Sydney’s CBD on Tuesday offering the same prices and discounts as its larger grocery stores.
The opening of its new store has thrown down a challenge to nearby convenience stores who are charging almost double the price for some items like Tim Tams and Kleenex tissues.
Daily Mail Australia found a pack of Tim Tams at the new Woolworths store retails for $1.82, whereas a nearby convenience store is charging $4.50.
An 80 pack of Kleenex tissues sells for $5.50 at one Sydney convenience store, while Woolworths is selling a 95 pack of the same brand for $2.
Other grocery items also differ in price, including a block of Cadbury chocolate that is retailing for $3.50 in Woolworths and $5.99 at a small city store.
Tomato sauce costs $3.14 at Woolworths and $5.50 at a convenience store, while Weetbix is $2.96 at the supermarket and $4.50 at a smaller retailer.
Just one lemon costs $1.50 at one Sydney convenience store but 77 cents at Woolworths.
WOOLWORTHS
Tim Tams: $1.82
Weetbix: $2.96
Cadbury chocolate: $3.50
Tomato sauce: $3.14
Kleenex tissues (95 pack): $2
Lemon: $0.77
CONVENIENCE STORE
Tim Tams: $4.50
Weetbix: $4.50
Cadbury chocolate: $5.99
Tomato sauce: $5.50
Kleenex tissues (80 pack): $5.50
Lemon: $1.50
Woolworths said its new Metro store offered a range of supermarket items at ‘affordable prices’, including its $2 milk range and catalogue offers.
It also offers ready-to-go meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner, including sandwiches, salads, wraps, a bakery and cafe, hot food, sushi, and soup.
‘Today, time-poor customers are shopping more frequently, buying smaller baskets of goods, and looking for a quick in-store experience. Our Woolworths Metro stores offer customers real choice and convenience,’ a Woolworths spokesman said.
‘Our York Street Metro store opening is an exciting new offering for workers and residents of Sydney CBD.’
There are now 16 Metros across Australia but the 310 square metre store in Sydney is the smallest.
The smaller stores are similar in format to UK retailers Tesco and Sainsbury’s, which service highly-populated areas where people do small daily shops.
‘This move to greater convenience store offerings is reflective of international trends and seen in other areas of retail given time-poor consumers,’ a Woolworths spokesman said.