Footscray’s community support supermarket (Vic)

Yarraville Community Centre (YCC) Web Radio Team & discount supermarket – Tim Tams $1.60!

PWF is always on the lookout for Neighbourhood House stories and the YCC website and its link to YCC radio webcasts from Western Melbourne has recently come to light.

Footscray is characterised by a very diverse, multicultural central shopping area, which reflects the successive waves of immigration experienced by Melbourne, and by Footscray in particular. It is a hub for Vietnamese immigrants in Melbourne.

The concept of a Community Support Supermarket as a competitive alternative to the big Coles/Woolies chains caught my ear on YCC’s webcast.

It’s never easy balancing the weekly budget – especially if you’re on a low income. At 58 Irving St, Footscray, the Bayside Dream Centre runs a Community Supermarket for people on lower incomes. Backed by the Bayside Christian Church, all profits go to charity – run drug rehabilitation centres, earlybird programs giving kids brekky etc.

The Centre wants to set up these supermarkets in lower income areas as a competitive alternative to the big Coles/Woolies supermarket chains. At these stores you can expect:

• products that are 20-20% cheaper;
• there is not a huge product range;
• profits are invested in charity projects;
• supermarket workers are volunteers, or work for dole participants picking up skills;
• products are sourced from those who recognise the group’s goals and give discounts;
• Tim Tams are/were(?) on sale at $1.60!
• promotion is largely ‘word-of-mouth’;

Paul Lansdowne runs this store….it was his brainchild. Apparently he went to the government with the idea and asked that they support a supermarket for people on limited budgets. They agreed and labour is sourced through Matchworks ‘Work for the dole/mutual obligation’ programs.

Congrats Paul! Sounds like a wonderful project….