New IGA supermarket opens its doors with more on the way

A Tasmanian supermarket has opened a store at Lower Sandy Bay and more are in the works.

A TASMANIAN businessman, who has just opened a new supermarket which will create jobs for 50 people, says rising cost of living pressures are biting.

Matthew Baxter, who has worked in the retail industry for 30 years, is buoyed by community support since opening his Baxter’s IGA supermarket in Lower Sandy Bay on Wednesday and has plans to open a new supermarket at Margate.

“It is going really well and I’ve had huge community support,” he said.

“I totally understand a lot of businesses were affected by Covid, including ours, and we are all feeling the impact of increased prices which unfortunately are flowing through to the wider community.

“But with the rising cost of fuel, interest rates going up and a lack of housing, it’s not good.

“I know filling my car up with fuel has increased from $90 to $150.”

Matt Baxter owner of Baxter's IGA Sandy Bay that has opened recently. Baxter's IGA Sandy Bay has now opened expanding from their original store at Snug. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Many customers, he said, were changing their shopping habits to make their budgets stretch.

“Some higher incomes are not affected as much and will still buy the brands they want, while middle income earners are more likely to be less brand loyal and take advantage of the specials we have,” Mr Baxter said.

“Lower incomes have a harder time having to reduce the items they are buying with some buying smaller quantities.

Mr Baxter, who started working for Woolworths as a 15-year-old “pushing trolleys and packing groceries” and his father David, who left Woolworths after being headhunted to work in Hong Kong overseeing 200 shops, both own IGAs.

They have plans to expand their Baxter’s supermarkets to other locations.

Mr Baxter opened an IGA in Snug in 2018 and has plans to open a new supermarket in Margate when negotiations with the property developer and Kingborough Council are settled.

“The building at Snug had been empty for 10 years and that has had strong community support too and we employed about 50 people there aged from 15 to 71.

Matt Baxter owner of Baxter's IGA Sandy Bay that has opened recently. Baxter's IGA Sandy Bay has now opened expanding from their original store at Snug. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

“I put up a Baxter’s IGA coming soon sign at the Sandy Bay site and had a lot of people contact me wanting jobs.

“I hired staff specifically for Sandy Bay who were trained at Snug ready for the opening day at Sandy Bay.

“Dad still has the Prospect supermarket and will be opening a new one at Blackstone Heights this year.”

Mr Baxter said the new Baxter’s IGA in Sandy Bay Rd replaced a supermarket that had been closed for 12 months and would open seven days a week.

“I saw the site and was excited with how I envisaged it could be,” he said.

“We are quite competitive with the big supermarkets and we’re the only one between here and Kingston.”