An independent Sunshine Coast supermarket has closed its doors permanently after struggling to compete with a grocery giant.
Everfresh IGA North Buderim on Pittards Road closed this week, just 18 months after Coles opened across the road.
It comes as this week the current owner also marked four years since taking over the store, which employed about 40 local staff.
Cornetts IGA chief executive Graham Booysen, whose company owns the North Buderim IGA, told Sunshine Coast News it was “very sad” to be forced to close.
“It was a good viable business before the Coles opened,” Mr Booysen said.
“With Coles opening we’ve probably lost about half of our business. Once you lose half your turnover in a store like that it just doesn’t become viable.
“It was still a good store and we still maintained loyalty of some customers, but once you get a store like Coles open across the road it is very difficult to compete on range and price.
“It also has an effect on all the direct suppliers we use to buy from on the Sunshine Coast, like local honey and strawberries for example.”
Prior to closing, the store held a 50 per cent off sale to move stock, with anything left over being donated to Lifeline.
Mr Booysen said he believed the continued approval of new supermarkets by Sunshine Coast Council was making it difficult for smaller stores to survive.
The application for a new shopping complex on Jones Road was initially rejected by Sunshine Coast Council, however the site developer appealed the decision with the Planning and Environment Council.
The decision was eventually overturned in October 2017 and work began to build the complex in April 2018.
“There are so many supermarkets on the Sunshine Coast and they seem to just keep getting approved by council,” Mr Booysen said.
“It is a free country and people are allowed to open up businesses but I think (council) really need to consider what they do when it comes to supermarkets.”
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