Gasp store out on the street

"For Lease" signs in the windows of the Gasp store in Chapel Street. Picture: Mark Dadswell Source: Herald Sun

CLOTHING retailer Gasp is out on the street after an unhappy landlord slapped a rental arrears notice on its former South Yarra store and moved to take possession and re-let the property.

The Chapel St Gasp outlet sparked international controversy over customer relations in 2011 when a self-proclaimed "retail superstar" shop assistant named Chris chastised a customer for her taste, saying  "have fun shopping at Supre . . . I knew you were a joke the minute you walked in," before later labelling her a "fat b----".

Chris chastised a customer for her taste

Customer Keara O'Neil wrote a formal complaint to management and received an unapologetic response, which again berated her and said "we respectfully ask that you sidestep our store".

The blistering reply later went viral before the company issued an apology three months later. The company again faced trouble last year when Australian Air Express was chasing a $16,729 unpaid courier bill.

A notice placed last month on the former Chapel St premises issued a "notice of re-entry", saying the lease was in breach and had been in arrears for more than 28 days.

A Gasp operations manager said yesterday he was unable to comment on the issue or the wider company, which includes several other store locations.

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Costco cleared to open Queensland store

The way has been cleared for Costco to open its first Queensland retail outlet in North Lakes. Source: News Limited

AMERICAN retail giant Costco has been given the green light by the Newman Government for its first Queensland store, dealing a huge blow to rival Westfield's attempt to lock the competitor out.

The decision, to be announced today, could see consumers shopping at the highly anticipated megastore as early as next year.

It is expected to open the door to other Costco centres around the state under plans for a "massive phase of expansion" and shake up the discount petrol market by taking on retail fuel schemes run by Coles and Woolworths.

The ruling is one of the few times the LNP administration has used its call-in powers to short-circuit a likely protracted court battle.

Deputy Premier and State Development Minister Jeff Seeney has cited the creation of jobs as a key factor in his decision to use his ministerial call-in powers to approve the $35 million Costco development at North Lakes, north of Brisbane.

After two extensions to the call-in decision deadline, his conditional approval of the project cannot be appealed in court.

"More than 500 jobs were riding on this outcome - the jobs of the 160 construction workers and the 350 retail staff and others who will be involved in building and operating this development," Mr Seeney said.

"We need to make sure that applications like this do not get bogged down in protracted legal proceedings."

Costco managing director Patrick Noone said the process involved in building its first Queensland store had been "long and arduous".

"We are looking at two or three more sites already as a follow-on," Mr Noone said.

"There is lots of land in Queensland and we haven't had too much difficulty finding sites, but the problem with the North Lakes site was the challenge from a third party on the council's decision.

"That's what has taken everyone's time and effort.

"I think we are a big box and it has always been contentious but we are happy to work through local councils and the State Government to get a resolution."

Costco, which operates more than 500 "membership warehouses" worldwide, gained approval from the Moreton Bay Regional Council last August for a 14,000sq m development at the North Lakes, which would include a Costco outlet and proposed petrol station.

Westfield retaliated by launching a legal challenge against the council and site developer Stockland in the Planning and Environment Court.

The scale of the proposed centre was beyond that allowed under local town plans and would "compete with similar development planned for the Town Centre Core," according to Westfield's court appeal.

Several other retailers lined up to join in the legal showdown, including owner of the nearby Supa IGA store, Drakes Supermarkets.

Mr Seeney revealed in November he intended to use his call-in powers to decide the Costco centre's fate amid fears a battle in the courts could stall the development for years and cost Moreton Bay Regional Council ratepayers millions of dollars in legal fees.

He argued the introduction of Costco would boost market competition and lower prices.

The North Lakes store is estimated to generate $160 million of turnover in its first year of trade.

Stockland state general manager Kingsley Andrew said the decision was great news for residents and small retailers because Costco would deliver more affordable groceries and other consumer lines.

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Sweet tooth bites the corner store

Aussies are turning away from classics like the meat pie in favour of picking up lollies and choccies at service stations, a new study shows.  Picture: Campbell Brodie Source: adelaidenow

SUPERMARKET servos - those petrol station and convenience stores - are eating away the market of the traditional corner store, and a lot of what's being eaten is chocolate.

Supermarket servos - often bearing a Coles or Woolworths logo - increased by almost 300 to an estimated 3,450 in the past two years, new research has found, while petrol-only outlets and corner stores are dwindling.

The big driver of the change has been food and drink offerings, with spending on sweets and snacks shifting to supermarket-owned outlets, according to a new report from researcher BIS Shrapnel.

BIS Foodservice head Sissel Rosengren said the value of corner store trade fell from $754 million in 2010 to $613 million in 2012 and that independent convenience store numbers fell by 1406 to 2725 nationwide in the same period.

At the same time, the number of Woolworths/Caltex supermarket servos rose from 611 stores to 848.

"The demise of the corner store is a fact," Ms Rosengren said.

"We fully expect this decline to continue due mainly to the rise in the number of supermarkets and convenience stores attached to service stations."

The researchers also found that Aussie fast-food tastes had shifted away from the iconic meat pie and sauce towards chocolates and lollies.

Despite a post-GFC slump in impulse spending, confectionery sales at service stations, corner stores and other so-called "route trade" outlets grew by 19 per cent from 2010 to 2012 to $711 million.

Chocolate accounted for nearly two-thirds of that spending.

"This is typical consumer behaviour during tougher and uncertain economic times," Ms Rosengren said.

"Chocolates can be small and inexpensive, and we like to reward ourselves every now and then with a little treat."

Meat pies still lead in the baked goods category but sales have fallen nine per cent since 2010.

Sales have also slipped for ice creams and other snack foods, but sausage rolls and cakes recorded increases of four per cent and 14 per cent respectively.

View the original article here

Sweet tooth bites the corner store

Aussies are turning away from classics like the meat pie in favour of picking up lollies and choccies at service stations, a new study shows.  Picture: Campbell Brodie Source: adelaidenow

SUPERMARKET servos - those petrol station and convenience stores - are eating away the market of the traditional corner store, and a lot of what's being eaten is chocolate.

Supermarket servos - often bearing a Coles or Woolworths logo - increased by almost 300 to an estimated 3,450 in the past two years, new research has found, while petrol-only outlets and corner stores are dwindling.

The big driver of the change has been food and drink offerings, with spending on sweets and snacks shifting to supermarket-owned outlets, according to a new report from researcher BIS Shrapnel.

BIS Foodservice head Sissel Rosengren said the value of corner store trade fell from $754 million in 2010 to $613 million in 2012 and that independent convenience store numbers fell by 1406 to 2725 nationwide in the same period.

At the same time, the number of Woolworths/Caltex supermarket servos rose from 611 stores to 848.

"The demise of the corner store is a fact," Ms Rosengren said.

"We fully expect this decline to continue due mainly to the rise in the number of supermarkets and convenience stores attached to service stations."

The researchers also found that Aussie fast-food tastes had shifted away from the iconic meat pie and sauce towards chocolates and lollies.

Despite a post-GFC slump in impulse spending, confectionery sales at service stations, corner stores and other so-called "route trade" outlets grew by 19 per cent from 2010 to 2012 to $711 million.

Chocolate accounted for nearly two-thirds of that spending.

"This is typical consumer behaviour during tougher and uncertain economic times," Ms Rosengren said.

"Chocolates can be small and inexpensive, and we like to reward ourselves every now and then with a little treat."

Meat pies still lead in the baked goods category but sales have fallen nine per cent since 2010.

Sales have also slipped for ice creams and other snack foods, but sausage rolls and cakes recorded increases of four per cent and 14 per cent respectively.

View the original article here

Sweet tooth bites the corner store

Aussies are turning away from classics like the meat pie in favour of picking up lollies and choccies at service stations, a new study shows.  Picture: Campbell Brodie Source: adelaidenow

SUPERMARKET servos - those petrol station and convenience stores - are eating away the market of the traditional corner store, and a lot of what's being eaten is chocolate.

Supermarket servos - often bearing a Coles or Woolworths logo - increased by almost 300 to an estimated 3,450 in the past two years, new research has found, while petrol-only outlets and corner stores are dwindling.

The big driver of the change has been food and drink offerings, with spending on sweets and snacks shifting to supermarket-owned outlets, according to a new report from researcher BIS Shrapnel.

BIS Foodservice head Sissel Rosengren said the value of corner store trade fell from $754 million in 2010 to $613 million in 2012 and that independent convenience store numbers fell by 1406 to 2725 nationwide in the same period.

At the same time, the number of Woolworths/Caltex supermarket servos rose from 611 stores to 848.

"The demise of the corner store is a fact," Ms Rosengren said.

"We fully expect this decline to continue due mainly to the rise in the number of supermarkets and convenience stores attached to service stations."

The researchers also found that Aussie fast-food tastes had shifted away from the iconic meat pie and sauce towards chocolates and lollies.

Despite a post-GFC slump in impulse spending, confectionery sales at service stations, corner stores and other so-called "route trade" outlets grew by 19 per cent from 2010 to 2012 to $711 million.

Chocolate accounted for nearly two-thirds of that spending.

"This is typical consumer behaviour during tougher and uncertain economic times," Ms Rosengren said.

"Chocolates can be small and inexpensive, and we like to reward ourselves every now and then with a little treat."

Meat pies still lead in the baked goods category but sales have fallen nine per cent since 2010.

Sales have also slipped for ice creams and other snack foods, but sausage rolls and cakes recorded increases of four per cent and 14 per cent respectively.

View the original article here