Pop up shop for Maryborough as Woolworths rebuilds

After being badly damaged in the February floods, Maryborough Woolworths has been closed to local customers. Now, a temporary plan can be revealed.

Maryborough’s Woolworths supermarket will launch a pop up shop from Saturday while its building is being reconstructed after the major floods that hit the city earlier this month.

The pop up shop will include a range of groceries on a smaller scale, plus essentials like bread, milk, eggs, and limited other items in fresh produce and meat.

Maryborough’s Woolworths supermarket is not expected to reopen for several months as repairs are completed after the flooding.

The supermarket had narrowly avoided being flooded in January when a major flood reaching about 10m hit the city in the wake of ex-tropical cyclone Seth.

But earlier this month, a flood reaching 10.3m hit Maryborough after heavy rain in the Mary River catchment and the supermarket was not as lucky.

Woolworths Maryborough could be closed for up to eight weeks because of flood damage.

The temporary shop will be set-up in the fresh fruit and vegetable section of the store, and will be self-contained so construction crews can rebuild around it.

“It’s been a devastating time for the people of Maryborough, including many of our own team members and their families, and we are determined to stand together as the community rebuilds and gradually recovers,” Melissa O’Hara, Woolworths Maryborough group manager said in an exclusive statement to the Chronicle

“We know that Woolworths Maryborough plays an important role in the community and we’re proud to have our team actively involved in the recovery process.

Woolworths in Maryborough flooding as the historic city faces a second, more devastating wave of damage.

“We look forward to welcoming the local community to their newly rebuilt Woolworths supermarkets in the months ahead and thank them for their patience. Until we open, our pop up shop will help customers shop their grocery and everyday essentials.”

According to the statement, Woolworths Maryborough employs 136 team members, all of whom have been redeployed to neighbouring Woolworths stores, as well as the pop up, while the rebuild takes place.

The Woolworths supermarket has had to be refitted before, with the business being inundated in January, 2013, after ex-tropical cyclone Oswald caused the Mary River to flood.

At the time it was determined the building could not be flood-proofed.

The flooding didn’t reach inside the supermarket in January.