Woolies issued a statement on December 2 which advised it had not received the required certification from its landlord/developer and therefore had made the difficult decision to keep the store closed for the safety of customers and team members.
The store has announced it will now begin trading on Wednesday, December 14 from 10am.
Store manager Megg Savage said it was “devastating” to have to delay the opening.
“The team were pretty deflated,” Ms Savage said.
“We put our heart and soul into trying to get the store to open.
“At the end of the day it was something that was out of our hands. The safety of our team and our customers is paramount.”
To celebrate the new opening date, there will be an official Welcome to Country ceremony with Uncle Rick Ronnan planned for 9am, followed by a ribbon and cake cutting at 10am.
Ms Savage said she really wanted to thank the community for its patience and understanding.
“I really want to thank everyone for their kind words,” she said.
“We had a lot of people saying how sorry they were, which just shows what a great community we have here.”
After the unfortunate false start, Woolworths staff had to work together to transport fresh produce and refrigerated items to nearby stores.
Despite not knowing when their new launch date would be, Ms Savage said they made a conscious effort to avoid creating any waste.
“The last thing we want is waste,” she said.
“It really shows the strength of Woolies and the strength of our team. We all came together to
make the best out of the situation.
“And I think we’ve really come out stronger for it.”
Ms Savage said she couldn’t wait for the community to see the new store.
“We now have the certificate in our hot little hands and a brand new opening date,” she said.
“We’re just really proud of the store and we want everyone to see it.”
Woolworths has donated 1000 sausages and 1000 pieces of bread plus sauce and onions to local CFA members who will be holding a barbecue in the new Woolies car park on Saturday, December 17.
The CFA will keep any money made from the sales.
Echuca West Woolworths will trade daily from 6am to 10pm.
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