Lara shoppers have gone bananas – literally – over their new Coles, according to its store manager.
Trent Butcher identified bananas as the “best seller to date” as the supermarket celebrated its first year of trading.
And Coles was bananas about Lara people too, Mr Butcher said, with the store hiring more staff than initially planned.
Coles Lara employed an extra 25 workers over the 12 months to now have a total staff of 132.
The supermarket had also supported 17 community groups, including Geelong’s Andrew Love Cancer Centre, with over $13,000 in fund-raising for the 12 months, Mr Butcher said.
Coles last year announced $100 million plans for five new supermarkets around the region. The stores would create 800 jobs, Coles said.
A Torquay store opened earlier this year with a target of 120 staff.
Coles has become one of the region’s biggest employers, overtaking companies such as Ford and Alcoa before they wound down operations in Geelong.
