Why Jewel supermarkets disappeared from Australia
Jewel supermarkets have disappeared from the Australian supermarket landscape. Picture: Facebook
Before Woolworths and Coles took the monopoly on Australian supermarkets and Aldi was the go-to affordable alternative – Jewel Food Stores lived in the hearts, and streets, of Australians for all their cheap grocery needs.
Once a staple for low cost brandless pantry necessities, Jewel Food Stores now only lives on as a nostalgic part of Australian retail history.
Many sentimental Aussies still remember Jewel and its cheap offerings and “no name” branding, while others wonder how it disappeared forever.
Jewel Food Stores began operating in 1960, originally owned and operated by the Fleming family.
Pitched as a low-price supermarket chain, Jewel’s biggest competition was Franklins.
Jewel found little success in NSW against the rival supermarket, while new stores in Victoria opened before Franklins could get in, finding most of its success in Victorian retail landscape.
Jewel was credited with bringing a ‘food barn’ concept to Australian supermarkets, which included selling dry groceries and frozen foods as well as fresh produce.
An old Jewel supermarket. Picture: Facebook
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Woolworths swooped in from as early as 1960 and bought the Sydney-based Jewel supermarket chain, which they ran for the next 10 years, before acquiring the 42 Warmans grocery chain stores and relaunching it as a discount supermarket under the Jewel Food Barn name.
Jewel was known for its affordable prices and its generic product range called No Name.
In 1995, Jewel Food Barn was acquired by Davids Holdings. By 1998, the 130 Jewel supermarkets were sold to independent Retailers (IGA) for about $100 million.
The Jewel name disappeared almost entirely when the Independent Retailers rationalised their 29 different grocery banners to form one IGA branding.
All Jewel stores changed to IGA by 1998. Picture: Facebook
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Australians still feel a sense of nostalgia for Jewel, with many taking to social media to reflect.
“When I first moved out on my own (1993) I shopped here because I had $30 per fortnight to feed us. A sack of oranges, mince, rice and Weet-Bix were staples. This supermarket was as miserable as it was cheap,” one user said on Reddit.
“For me it has great memories of shopping with my father as a tiny child. Most aisles had toys which I tried to sneak in the trolley. I specifically remember a talking watch (also circa 1993),” a user called Hi From Sydney said.
Many Australians think fondly of the Jewel Food Barn.
“When I first moved out of home in 1993, I was 17, Northmead Jewel was my local. I could get a single serve of No Name 2 minute noodles for 17 cents!!(sic),” Katie Kat said on Facebook.
“I worked at Moonee Ponds market shop part time in the 80s. Fun and games!” another said.
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