Coles is opening a brand-new store in Lismore, following the floods that hit the NSW town earlier this year.
The opening of the new store comes months after the original Coles store, built in 1979, was destroyed in the floods.
Following the flood damage, Coles continued serving the community from a pop-up tent in the city’s central business district. More than 65 pallets were trucked into the local community twice a week.
Over the past few months, Coles Lismore team members rallied in support of their local community. They hosted regular sausage sizzles at the Lismore Showgrounds as well as donating bread and sausages to the Lismore Lions Club to help raise much-needed funds for the affected community. Team members also volunteered their time at the evacuation centres in Lismore and Ballina.
The brand-new store, opening in two weeks’ time, will feature a large fresh produce section, as well as an extended range of ready-made meals. The new deli section will include hot roast chickens, an extensive range of gourmet cheese, and seafood options behind the counter.
The new offering also includes fresh flatbread flipped daily, patisserie favourites and celebration cakes, and a frozen dessert bar housing gelato, macarons and mochi. Local dogs have not been overlooked either, with a Scoop&Weigh pet treat bar on offer in store.
In addition, click-and-collect concierge will be on offer, allowing shoppers to drive through dedicated lanes to have their online grocery order delivered straight to the car.
Coles Lismore Store Manager Cheryl Muirhead says that although the past few months have been challenging, she couldn’t be prouder of her store team in rallying behind the local community, all while keeping a smile on their faces.
“We are so excited to be opening a brand-new store for the Lismore community,” she says.
“It has certainly been a challenging few months. However, it has been so heart-warming to see everyone in Lismore put their hand up to help others, including our incredible store team.
“Seventeen of our team members lost everything. Every single team member has been impacted in some way, big or small.
“The whole store team couldn’t be more excited to get back into the store, which includes more than a dozen team members who have been at Coles for over 20 years. It is home to us, and we can’t wait to return to helping and serving our customers.”