Supermarket return creates buzz

The return of Coles to Kwinana has been lauded as a major plus for the region and is set to create jobs and choices for the City’s electorate.

The Telegraph revealed last week that the City of Kwinana was on the verge of welcoming back the supermarket giant, with the council approving a proposal to construct a new Coles in the heart of town.

The new facility will be based at Kwinana Marketplace and boast a supermarket of about 4198sqm, a liquor store and rearranged parking areas, including 137 bays under shade sails.

Coles had previously been based in Kwinana, while Woolworths has been the only major supermarket in the city centre in recent years.

City of Kwinana Mayor Carol Adams said Coles’ return was a positive thing.

“More competition at the supermarket level means more foot traffic in the city centre and an increasingly robust commercial environment” she said.

“It signals to the commercial world, to businesses which may have been holding off, that Kwinana is open for business.”

Ms Adams said Coles being based in Kwinana showed the city was a prime location for commercial investment.

“We have one of the fastest-growing communities in Australia with a diverse economic and social structure,” she said.

“Businesses that see this and take advantage of it early will reap some major rewards.”

A Coles spokesperson said the shopping giant was happy to be based in Kwinana once again.

“Coles is looking forward to returning to Kwinana and creating around 100 jobs at a new full-line supermarket in the redeveloped Marketplace shopping centre,” he said.

“We hope to open the new supermarket with our latest store features in late 2017.”

Rockingham Kwinana Chamber of Commerce president Karen Court said Coles coming to the region was a great sign for investor confidence and the additional jobs created would be very welcome.

The initial news of Coles’ return was well received on the Telegraph’s Facebook page, with the post reaching more than 23,000 people, being shared more than 150 times and sparking more than 30 comments.