Woolworths wins local favour as Coles banana decision sparks Coffs Harbour backlash

Residents of Coffs Harbour on the New South Wales Mid-North Coast are vowing they will not forget Coles' decision to stop buying bananas grown in their region. The town, home of the Big Banana landmark, has taken the move personally, with more than 15,000 people signing a Change.org petition urging the supermarket giant to reconsider.

Lee Gentle, whose husband is a local banana grower, said the community feels angry and frustrated that business is being taken away from the town. But she has also shared a lighter note, praising Woolworths for its contrasting approach in the same region.

What has Woolworths done differently in Coffs Harbour?

Inside her local Woolworths store, Gentle photographed signs that read proudly, 'Grown locally in Coffs Harbour', boxes bearing the logos of area farmers, and even banana trees on display. She described the setup as an amazing showcase of local produce.

Her spirits lifted further when a Woolworths staff member told her: 'We might be a national organisation, but this is a local community store, and we support locals.'

Why did Coles stop buying Coffs Harbour bananas?

Local wholesaler Golden Dawn had supplied Coles with regionally grown bananas for 35 years. Owner Paul Gibbons broke his silence on the split, telling Yahoo News the community won't forget and remains very attached to its bananas.

In a statement, Gibbons said the decision was not mutual and left him disappointed. 'We understand that large companies need to make commercial decisions and that supply chains change,' he said. 'But we also believe there needs to be an understanding of what those decisions mean when they reach a small regional community. A decision made in a corporate office can have a very different impact when it reaches a grower's farm gate.'

Gibbons added that he and local growers decided to speak out because they believe the community deserves a voice.

A Coles spokesperson told Yahoo News when the split was announced 10 days ago that the decision was not taken lightly. It forms part of a plan to replace direct-to-store produce arrangements with a more consistent operating model centred on geographically located distribution centres. Under the new model, bananas will be picked, ripened and delivered to NSW from Queensland.

How do the two supermarket giants compare on local sourcing?

In Coffs Harbour, Woolworths' decision to keep buying local has proven popular. Yet in Tasmania, the same company has sparked its own uproar by announcing it will no longer stock local beef or Tamar Valley Yogurt.

Gentle noted that the two big supermarkets are often characterised as a duopoly or 'evil twins'. But regardless of which company makes unpopular decisions, she said there is a definite human side to the staff working on the frontlines of these stores.

'They feel really passionately about their local area,' she said. 'My heart goes out to the Coles staff in the Mid North Coast stores at this point in time. It's not their decision, they're just local people doing their jobs.'

What can the community do about supermarket sourcing decisions?

Gentle believes it is important to treat staff at both supermarkets with respect. For community members angry at decisions made by corporate bosses, she suggests a simple response: shop elsewhere.

'The community has the power to make change,' she said. 'They can say no, it's not good enough, we demand local product, and start talking by taking their dollars to little local stores again.'

The episode highlights a broader tension in Australian retail between national supply chain efficiency and the economic health of regional communities. As the major chains consolidate their distribution networks, the question of how to balance commercial logic with local loyalty is likely to remain a live issue.