Tuesday, 22 October 2024: A new Mini Woolies opened at St Giles’ Launceston facility today, marking a major milestone for the program as its 80th location to open across Australia and New Zealand. 

The site in Launceston is set to transform the learning journey of young people with disabilities. Woolworths and St Giles have teamed up to create an immersive simulated supermarket space to practise retail and general life skills. 

Rather than a fully operational store, a converted room has been set up to simulate the operations of an actual Woolworths supermarket, with baskets for fresh food, shelving for groceries, ticketing, signage and Woolworths branded uniforms, as well as two registers. 

General Manager of Enterprise Operations and Mini Woolies at Woolworths Group, Sarah Corey, said “Launching the 80th Mini Woolies here at St Giles has been lots of fun, made possible by the incredible teamwork between our local store team members, Fujitsu and the St Giles community. This new space will provide a unique learning experience for young people with disabilities, and we’re excited to see how it will empower participants to build confidence and achieve their goals.

“We're delighted to expand our partnership with St Giles and provide more opportunities for young people with disabilities across Tasmania. The support of our local store teams has also seen a lot of people generously volunteer their time and expertise to make this project a success, delivering groceries and showing everyone how to use the registers.”

The site will serve as an accessible learning space for young people with disabilities to learn vital skills that equip them for the workforce and help them gain confidence navigating life in the community. This will include interpersonal communication skills for retail customer service; real world skills in literacy, numeracy and register operations; and building confidence, independence and preparedness for the future.

St Giles provides whole of life solutions to Tasmanians living with a disability. The organisation is a registered NDIS provider that offers disability support services, allied health and assistive technology solutions. Woolworths has partnered with the organisation for over 10 years to support services and equipment through various fundraisers and donations. 

CEO of St Giles, Honni Pitt, said: “We’re incredibly excited to open the doors on our own Mini Woolies here at St.Giles in Launceston. This program will allow us to expand our School Leaver Employment Support offerings to participants, and it’s another example of how our partnership with Woolworths continues to deliver positive outcomes for our clients and their families.”

It joins three other sites in Tasmania opened over the last year, including Northern Support School in Launceston, Southern Support School in Hobart and Giant Steps in Deloraine. 

Nada Stankovic, Head of Customer Success, Fujitsu Oceania, said: "Fujitsu knows technology can make a positive difference in people's lives, and we're excited to play a role in helping young people thrive. Our partnership with Woolworths, marked by this 80th Mini Woolies in Launceston, allows Fujitsu to apply our in-store technology know-how to build an immersive and engaging learning space, giving young people with disabilities the tools and confidence they need to succeed.”

ENDS