Exclusive report: Miner survey reveals how supermarket shopping has changed since Spudshed opened in town

Nearly two months after Spudshed opened its first Kalgoorlie-Boulder supermarket, more than half of shoppers who responded to a Kalgoorlie Miner survey say they are spending less at their former regular stores, with 6 per cent abandoning them completely. However, more than 40 per cent revealed they had not changed their shopping habits since the WA-owned supermarket opened at Hannans Boulevard in Kalgoorlie-Boulder’s north on November 20. The Miner collected the data after receiving 200 responses through a survey posted on the newspaper’s Facebook page about shopping habits during the past two months. Before Spudshed opened, Coles and Woolworth were the most nominated supermarkets, with 141 and 119 respondents respectively naming the stores as the places where they regularly shopped. Lionel Street IGA was reported as the least visited supermarket store in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, with only 11 people claiming to have regularly spent money there. According to the data, 51.5 per cent of residents said they had shopped less at their previous supermarket since Spudshed opened, citing lower prices and 24/7 opening hours as the top factors. One South Boulder resident, who claimed they now buy all or most of their groceries from Spudshed and had quit shopping at other stores, said the new store had been a game-changer for their family. “I just had a newborn with my wife and being able to go and get food at 12-4 in the morning has been game-changing,” they said. “I also prefer to support true blue Aussie battlers over Coles or Woolies, who have been robbing us for years out here.” A central Kalgoorlie resident also mentioned how the store’s opening hours had played a big role in where they shopped, claiming to now spend all or most of their money for groceries at Spudshed. “Being 24 hours is very helpful for shift workers,” they said. “The produce is top quality (and there’s) lots of parking.” A West Lamington resident said they had saved up to $200 a week since switching from Woolworths to Spudshed. “The prices are much more reasonable,” they said. “We are saving on average $200 a week by shopping there. “We love the variety of international food items and are so grateful it has opened up in Kalgoorlie to give the big supermarkets some competition.” However, the survey also revealed a significant number — 42.5 per cent — had not changed their shopping habits since Spudshed opened, with top reasons including inconsistent quality of produce, location and limited range. One South Boulder resident, who claimed to shop at Spudshed “sometimes” alongside from their regular shop at Woolworths, said the new store had not proved to be worth the drive from the opposite end of town. “I found on both occasions buying fruit and veg at Spudshed, the quality was poor, and I prefer Woolworths and Coles as the produce lasts longer and is of better quality,” they said. “Broccoli, peaches and nectarines went rotten very quickly. “It’s also a fair distance from South Boulder, so for convenience, Coles and Woolies is quicker. “I also found their grocery items to be more expensive in general.” Distance has also played a part for one central Kalgoorlie, Coles-shopping resident, who had only visited Spudshed once. “I spend the equal amount in fuel as saving on cost of groceries,” they said. “I found it to be a lot of hype for a badly laid out store. “Grocery range is okay, fruit and veg range good, but quality is hit and miss; most are close to use-by date and don’t last.” For one Hannans local, Spudshed being in close proximity has not been enough to encourage them to quit their loyalty to Woolworths. “It’s great to have Spudshed, but it is still lacking some home basics that Woolies and Coles offer,” they said. “I’ll do my main shop at Woolworths but do keep an eye out now at Spudshed to see what they have for pricing if it is cheaper.” Eight per cent of people also expressed concern about Spudshed’s “use-by date” stickers, claiming to have bought meat and dairy products that expired or went off “well before” its expiry date. Despite multiple opinions of the store’s product quality, fresh produce drove 67 per cent of people to Spudshed, while meat encouraged 39 per cent of its shoppers along with convenience items and snacks. Only 23 per cent of people said they bought all their groceries from Spudshed. Data also found that 6 per cent of people have not shopped at the Kalgoorlie-Boulder store since it opened, with some saying they were waiting until the “rush” died down. End note: This is an independent survey conducted by Kalgoorlie Miner reporter Jessica Antoniou for editorial purposes and is not affiliated or sponsored by any supermarket or company.