Macro Wholefood$ bought by Woolworth$

Cynical about corporate wholefood and organic retailers? Here’s more fuel for the fire. Woolworths have acquired Macro Wholefoods for $30 million dollars. Just when you thought Macro couldn’t get any worse (for vegan products or for working conditions) along comes Woolworths.

Macro, who recently closed down their cafe in Newtown for the second time in twice as many years will be now branded Thomas Dux. Goodbye vegan groceries and (already sub-standard) working conditions, hello overpriced conventional food and hoards of SUV driving breeders getting their biodynamic goats milk*

(*insert latest dietry fad).

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Monday, June 15th, 2009 Fussy Vegan Rants

15 Comments to Macro Wholefood$ bought by Woolworth$

  1. how sad. i never really liked macro anyway. so overpriced and too trendy for me

  2. stacy on June 16th, 2009
  3. All of the Macro locations will be T.Dux apart from the Bondi store which is now owned by About Life.

    T.Dux does have some vegan products but it’s even less than Macro did and they are chock full of meat and dairy products too :/

  4. Mandee on June 17th, 2009
  5. Has anybody tried the guys across the road from the new About Life in Bondi Junction? Don’t know if they have a name but they have a smallish veg store and a little cafe.

  6. stevenm on June 30th, 2009
  7. Not us, want to write a review? Email it to benjiATvegansydneyDOTcom

  8. Benji on June 30th, 2009
  9. The place StevenM is talking about is Suveran Cafe and it’s at 244 Oxford St, Bondi Junction.

    I’ve been there a few times only to buy raw ingredients and their raw chocolates and have found the staff to be friendly.

    2 friends have gone there at different times and encountered a rather angry woman who will give you a serve if you mention the word vegan and will state they are not a vegan cafe and are not vegans themselves. I’ve never seen her myself but my friends have decided they will not be going there ever again.

    As well as offering what seems to be raw vegan and vegan options they also offer lots of meat in the form of stews and wraps etc.

  10. Mandee on July 1st, 2009
  11. Hi People, sorry about that person, she is no longer at the Suveran and has been ”replaced” with a co-worker who is a …vegan!.

    we offer gluten free, dairy free, soy free, flour free, egg free, wheat free, SUGAR free,yeast free, grain free, no, vegetable oils, no tap water, no sweetners, just whole foods are used for sweetening.

    We dont do vegetarian, its either vegan or meat.

    We have had a very good response to our foods, that offer a full range of raw foods as well, young coconut salads, raw porridges, chocolates,nutspreads, smoothies and others.

    We will be branching out soon with more variety in the raw way, sorry for the bad vibes, and come in and get your free complimentory chocolate for first timers, pete

  12. Pete on July 15th, 2009
  13. I worked an unrelated job around the corner from Suveran for about 5 months and was a very content regular. Fantastic staff, a huge range of choices for vegans, and plenty of interesting alternative media too.

    As for vibes – I haven’t been round recently enough to know what that’s about, but I always found the joint enormously warm and welcoming.

  14. Peter Merel on July 26th, 2009
  15. With regards to the comments above re: the staff member at the Suveran, I would like to just say I am not sure I blame her for being “out of sorts and angry”, you should hear what Pete says about Vegans when the vegans are not there!!!!!!. I was a regular there until recently after watching Peter Melov be-little and abuse his staff, not to mention the impatience and arrogance he has projected onto customers.

    You just need to observe the Staff turn over to know that something is not quite right! Businesses are a direct reflection of their management and I can tell you ALL the Suveran staff started off with passion, enthusiasm and joy until they were verbally and psychologically BEATEN down by Peter, I could guarrantee MANY pepole have been witness to it and would agree with me.

    Peter Melov speaks about doing all this for the community, yet sees abusing his staff as being ok, well Peter, they ARE your community. Lies, slander and nastyness was the flavour most tasted by the “old” regulars………funny how none of them are there now either. And don’t be fooled, I have witnessed him slander customers many times as they leave the premises after “supporting” HIS business, vegans, yoga practitioners and anyone else that hold an opinion contrary to his own.

    What a shame that a man with such amazing information cannot be courageous enough to have a good look at himself. Staff come and go, but the common remaining factor is always YOU Pete.

    Thank god the others are starting REAL community, EGO free businesses that are intended to heal the community, not derive their own sense of importance from it!

  16. Suveran Staff Defence on September 15th, 2009
  17. I’m all for raw and honest vegan-centric dialogue on places to eat in this city of meat. Particularly if it involves the mistreatment of humans in supposedly vegetarian/eco-friendly establishments. I’ve never stepped into the aforementioned store–let alone knew it existed til this thread. Happy for laundry to be aired, however if it turns into a mud-slinging match I’ll lock the thread.

    -Benji (VS moderator)

  18. Benji on September 15th, 2009
  19. The place is full of personality, to be sure and it is not a peaceful dining or shopping experience…BUT I love it as an alternative to the health food giants……good stuff sold in bulk without the stupid packaging and rubbish claims.
    After my first visit to the suv about a year ago I actuially refused to visit for a while due to some of the issues above mentioned, but the business practice is good, so much better than ‘About shite’ across the road…I came back and go there every other day now.
    I get coconut oil, teas, shea butter and delicious meals here all the time. Its not pretty, sterile nor does it smell good…..the staff can be a bit overbearing and dont pander to their customers…..but neither does real food, or real people.

  20. Letitia on January 19th, 2010
  21. “About Shite” haha and we all thought thought Macro was bad. Welcome to Sydney where the ‘health food stores’ are either bodybuilders supply shops or overpriced designer supermarkets with conventional food in fancy packaging.

  22. Benji on January 19th, 2010
  23. Good in the old days but became way overpriced, whilst their food was on a steep downhill slide for a long time. I asked the owner some months back if they were selling to Woolworths and he denied it. I could have laughed in his face because one of the main Woolworths negotiators is a relo of mine LOL. No loss that they’re gone.

  24. The Future is Vegan on January 29th, 2010
  25. As I said before I’m happy for laundry to be aired, however as it has turned into a mud-slinging match I’m locking the thread.

    -Benji
    VS moderator

  26. Benji on April 10th, 2010
  27. This thread is locked.

  28. Benji on June 10th, 2010
  29. This is very sad, indeed. I really wish big companies like Woolworths, etc. wouldn’t take over so much!

    I have published a hub about this with regard to gluten free brands going out of business: http://hubpages.com/hub/Woolworths

  30. Kelly on August 13th, 2010

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