Hill Street Grocer: Tasmanian high-end grocery and retail

The Hill Street story

Hill Street Grocer is a name now synonymous with high?end grocery and retail in Tasmania. They are a family owned and run business, and food and family are central to everything they do. As per their website, the company aim is: “to delight each and every customer and go ‘above and beyond’ at all ?mes to provide a  fun and enjoyable shopping experience in a beau?ful environment.  We embrace excellence and difference and encourage team members to ‘have a go’, in order to grow  and succeed in a business they are proud to be a part of, and where they feel happy and  have fun. At Hill Street, we work hard to be the first choice in Tasmanians’ minds when  shopping for food.  We aim to give our customers the best food shopping experience in  the world.

The Hill Street story commenced around 40 years ago, when John and Irene Varsimidis opened their mixed corner store and takeaway in West Hobart.
In 1994, their daughter Dianna married a bricklayer, Marco, and together they took over running the store, which was then known as ‘Rite?Way West Hobart’.

In 2001, this successful but small corner store was renovated and rebranded as Hill  Street Grocer, and addi?onal family members (such as co?owner Nick) were brought into the business.
Fast track to 2020, and the company operates 10 stores around Tasmania: Blackmans Bay, Devonport, Dodges Ferry, Latrobe, Lauderdale, Longford, New Town, South Hobart, West Hobart and the most recent store opening in Sandy Bay. This rapid expansion has enabled the European?style grocery chain to capitalise on opportuni?es in the external market and bring a wide range of Tasmanian made and grown products to greater numbers of consumers.
Many of the now Hill Street stores were previously small, independent grocery outlets. In this sense,the company used   to expand their store network. In 2017, for example, the company expanded into Northern Tasmania when they acquired the well?established Brown’s IGA Store in Longford. The store was renovated and converted into a Hill Street Grocer, re?opening on Sunday 12th of November.

A similar strategy was used to convert the IGA Store in Latrobe into a Hill Street Grocer.
In other cases, the company have constructed stores on previously non?grocer sites, such as the 2019 renova?on of the former UniPrint in Sandy Bay.
Being part of the Tasmanian IGA network (of independently owned and operated stores) gives independent retailers like Hill Street access to volume buying and n power.

It also assists
Hill Street to offer consumers a wide range of household consumables, many of which are adver?sed
Hill Street Grocer 2020, Careers with Hill Street Grocer, viewed 15 June 2020, h?ps://hillstreetgrocer.com/about?hill?street?grocer/careers 
Hill Street Grocer 2020, The Hill Street Story, viewed 15 June 2020, h?ps://hillstreetgrocer.com/about?hill?street?grocer/about 3

To further complement their wide range of food and grocery products, in 2015 Hill Street added to their core business when they launched Hill Street Home; a division which incorporates homewares, a cheese room, kitchenware and an in?house florist. This new range of products and experiences are available in the business’s larger stores (e.g. Devonport and West Hobart). All Hill Street stores share a and aesthe?cally pleasing format. This physical layout and atmosphere contribute to the family?friendly, and somewhat ‘up?market’ shopping experience customers are increasingly seeking. Some stores (e.g. Devonport) also house a café, which serves breakfast and lunch, and provides takeaway op?ons. Customers can now also pre?order their café drinks and meals via the Hill Street website.

Customers can also do their Hill Street grocery shop online and ‘click and collect’ their purchases either in?store or arrange home delivery within the company’s expanding delivery zones within Tasmania. Customers can check if the business delivers to their suburb by entering their postcode on the Hill Street website. In addi?on to selling pre?prepared meals in store, Hill Street’s Catering service offer a range of entertaining/func?on pla?ers, which customers can pre?order online and pick up from
any store the next day.