A DRAKES supermarket has been confirmed as the flagship retailer for Springwood’s $20 million retail precinct, at Gawler East.

With start of construction only a few months away, Drakes Supermarkets director John-Paul Drake said the project is “fantastic news” for Drakes and the Gawler region, and is one of the first to be given the go-ahead post COVID-19.

“Our customers are fantastic out in the Gawler area, so we are very excited to get into the thick of it again and grow with a growing community,” he said.
“...to be just on that connector there, it’s going to be a great site for us and we are very excited about it.”

The new store will be a second Drakes for the Gawler region and will have about 2200-square-meters of retail space, as well as one of Drakes’ signature café’s ‘The Little Kitchen’.

“In a rapidly growing area, we feel it’s important to give the people of Gawler a choice in who they get to spend their money with,” Mr Drake said.

“Our new store will see a rejuvenated food hub, with our newest format store modelled on our learnings from our recently opened Salisbury North store.

“We’re working on a number of surprises for Springwood, with an even stronger focus on fresh foods in store, and we’ll maintain our commitment to stocking all the brands you know and trust, based on what our customers in the area want.”

Springwood project director Anthony Andolfatto said the announcement was a major milestone for the Springwood community.

“We’re thrilled to have secured an agreement to bring Drakes Supermarkets to Springwood, in partnership with specialist retail developer, Leyton Property,” he said.

“The Drakes Supermarket, and the wider ‘Springwood Place’ retail precinct, will provide even greater choice and convenience to our residents and the wider Gawler community.

“...Like Springwood, Drakes and Leyton Property are local, South Australian businesses, and their values – particularly community and quality – align closely with ours.”

Springwood Place, which received development approval in March, last year, will also include a liquor store and space for several speciality or standalone stores, along with 200 carparks.

Leyton Property managing director Hamish Brown said the project is expected to create 200 jobs in the construction phase and more than 100 jobs once complete.

“Leyton Property is thrilled to have secured a Drakes Supermarket and a Drakes Liquor Store as the precinct anchor tenant – delivering a long-term, positive investment into the community from Australia’s largest independent grocery retailer,” he said.

Further tenancies in Springwood Place are expected to be advertised later this month, with the new Drakes supermarket due to open in late 2022.

Meanwhile, construction has already started on a ‘Where We Grow’ child care centre childcare centre, for up to 110 children.

Located north of the connector road, on Hartley Walk, the centre is expected to open later this year.