Check out the latest issue of Retail World magazine, featuring an interview with Outback Stores’ Health and Nutrition Manager, Anna Murison, with photos of Urapunga Store and Monash University students.
The November issue explores how retailers are integrating health and health practitioners into their business.
To read the full article in their November 2024 issue, click here.
Farewell to Lisa Barry, manager of Warmun Roadhouse for 2.5 years! She’s off on new adventures, utilising her extensive retail skills that have seen her work all over the country…
Warmun Roadhouse is located on the Great Northern Highway in the East Kimberley region of Western Australia. The Gija people are the traditional owners of this area, which draws many visitors keen to explore the World Heritage-listed Bungle Bungle Range.
Although Lisa had never managed a roadhouse before, she had 25 years’ experience in retail working in Coles on the East Coast. She spent the last three of those years travelling in her caravan and working at different Coles locations around the country.
One of Lisa’s favourite things about the role was working with the local community and learning about their culture. She also loved hearing other road-tripping tales and sharing her own touring tips.
Lisa managed a staff of 9 who serviced the fuel station, dining room, takeaway, motel rooms, caravan sites and small grocery store. They trade 7 days a week, from 7 am – 7 pm.
The biggest challenge in the role was the constant recruiting required to fill all the positions needed to keep the roadhouse running. Maintaining stock levels throughout both the wet season and high season can also be problematic and takes forward planning.
Photos
Top: Lisa travelling around Australia with her caravan
Bottom: The Bungle Bungle Ranges
You’ve got to think straight and have common sense.
– Lisa Barry
“Lisa displayed great planning and delegation skills, and set her team up for success, especially during the busy dry season months,” said Operations Manager Matt Pawelski.
As the sole manager, Lisa credits her organisation skills as the key reason she thrived in a role that previously required two co-managers.
“The most important thing for a good remote store manager is being organised and prepared. You’ve got to think straight and have common sense, because you never know what’s going to happen from one day to the next,” says Lisa.
In her spare time Lisa enjoyed reading a book by the roadhouse’s swimming pool or visiting the closest town of Kununurra, 2 hours away.
Lisa usually divided her 7-weeks of annual between adventuring overseas or visiting her family on the Central Coast of New South Wales.
During he time with Outback Stores, Lisa visited Canada, Alaska, Japan and Tasmania. Next up on her horizon is a cruise to the South Pacific.
Are you interested in being a remote store manager? Outback Stores is currently hiring! Click here for more info.
Photos
Top: Visiting Canada’s glaciers
Bottom: On holiday in Bali
Outback Stores is looking forward to working with Yarralin, located 410km southwest of Katherine and home to 300 people.
The community is situated on the banks of the Wickham River, which floods often, impacting food security. Walangeri Ngumpinku Aboriginal Corporation reached out to Outback Stores for support to ensure there would be minimal disruption right before the next wet season arrives.
“We’ve been running the store independently since 2022 and unfortunately it’s become too difficult to manage by ourselves. Gone are the days when all you needed was a cash register and some stock to run a local store. The legislative requirements around licensing, and food safety, getting IT support for the computer programs and systems needed, and the low purchasing power of a small independent store all added significantly to our costs and the time required to manage the store.
Outback Stores Australia operate over 50+ stores across Australia. Their team are well-versed in the legislative requirements, with back-end IT support available at a moment’s notice, and purchasing power which will help keep costs down for our community, as well as visitors. We were also impressed with their training program, which will see our local staff receive formal certified training which will allow us to manage the store with more local managers.” – Walangeri Ngumpinku Aboriginal Corporation
Outback Stores’ support team are currently onboarding the store, organising orders and establishing processes, while store managers Brian and Janine are on the ground and already delivering great customer service to the community.
Yarralin is the 56th store under Outback Stores’ management.
Photos
Top: Yarralin Community Store
Bottom: Outback Stores managers, Janine and Brian
We look forward to working with Outback Stores and seeing the prices on a core range of products come down, benefiting community.
– Walangeri Ngumpinku Aboriginal Corporation
Since 2018 we have worked with Monash University hosting students that are studying Nutrition and Dietetics for their Community Nutrition Placement. This week we welcomed Calista, Raquel, Sara and Jessica, who will be completing their placement with us for ten weeks until 22 November.
One of our key metrics is to increase fresh fruit and vegetable volume by 2.5% every year. The students project will support this goal by updating existing training guides, reports and resources. This will help streamline the process for store managers and their teams.
As always, our nutrition team will accompany the students during their remote travel to stores. This will provide them with an insight into how our stores operate as well as how we manage, promote and display fruit and vegetables to ensure our customers have access to affordable and quality fresh produce.
Welcome to Outback Stores, Calista, Jessica, Raquel and Sara!
Nutrition and Dietetic students from Monash University: Calista, Raquel, Sara and Jess (left to right)
For the past three years Outback Stores has been proud to sponsor Bush Bands Bash, an annual celebration of Indigenous music organised by Music NT.
Held at the Alice Springs Telegraph Station, the concert is the culmination of a four-day intensive workshop called Bush Bands Business, honing performance skills and music biz knowledge with industry professionals and music mentors.
This year marked the 20th anniversary of Bush Bands Bash and featured performances by emerging talent from remote communities, as well as desert reggae legends, Tjupi Band from Papunya.
Tjupi Band guitarist Jason Butcher has lost count of the number of times the band has performed at Bush Bands Bash. He has been involved with it since his father, Sammy Butcher of the iconic Warumpi Band, first conceived of the idea to create a concert opportunity for emerging bands in remote communities.
Sammy Butcher took the idea to the Central Australia Aboriginal Media Association and together they organised the first event in 2004, held near Anzac Oval and featuring only a handful of bands.
This year Bush Bands Bash showcased 10 performances, featuring at least 8 different languages. Jason Butcher has noticed over the years a greater diversity in musical genres represented, and more female artists emerging.
Photos
Top: Bronwyn Stuart (centre) with Bush Bands Bash MC’s Que (left) and Nicholas Williams (right)
Bottom: Backstage with Tjupi Band guitarist, Jason Butcher
We’ve developed industry knowledge to take our music to the next level.
– Jessica LA
Jessica LA is a Western Arrernte/Luritja woman now living in Darwin, who enjoyed the four-day music business workshop.
“We’ve developed industry knowledge to take our music to the next level. We learned about copyright laws, vocal training, self-management and working with others on stage,” says Jessica.
Tara Rostron is a musician from Maningrida and member of Ripple Effect band. She was chosen to be one of five Remote Music Rangers to take part in a special mentoring program of Bush Bands Business. They learned how to set up concert equipment, how to use the mixing desks and how to care for musical instruments.
“I really love what I’ve been learning and want to take my skills back to my community so that in the future the kids there can do it themselves,” says Tara.
Outback Stores congratulates all the performers, mentors and organisers of this year’s Bush Bands Bash!
Photos
Top: Jessica LA performing at Bush Bands Bash 2024
Bottom: Remote Music Rangers Tara Rostron (left) and Cassii Williams (right)
I really love what I’ve been learning and want to take my skills back to my community.
– Tara Rostron
The 20th anniversary line-up:
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The annual Bush Bands program is presented by MusicNT, the peak body for music in the Northern Territory. Their mission is to support the growth and development of the contemporary music industry in the Northern Territory. Find out more about their suite of programs on the MusicNT website.
Photos
Top: Nicholas Williams evet MC and Ntaria Supermarket Chairperson
Middle: Remote Music Rangers Tara and Romana with musician Jessica LA
Bottom: Bronwyn Stuart (Ntaria) performing at Bush Bands Bash 2024
Janyima Store (Bulla Store), located south-west of Darwin, is under new management, the store directors have announced.
Shadrack Retchford, local store director, said the community is grateful for Outback Stores’ assistance, as the store has not operated for several years.
“We’re looking forward to working with Outback Stores. We are very excited, and the community can’t wait to have their store back up and running. It has been a long time since the store was closed”.
The past years have seen flooding during the wet season, with the community relying on food drops. The community hopes to have a long-term food security solution for its residents, with the assistance of Outback Stores.
“It makes it very easy for us to get our groceries. Our residents won’t need to travel to Timber Creek to get food. Those that have no transport will now have access to essential items within the community.”
Outback Stores has invested significant resources to get the store ready for trading, contributing $60k to procure stock and assisting the store with a further funding of over $200k to improve the store infrastructure.
We are very excited, and the community can’t wait to have their store back up and running.
– Shadrack Retchford
