Drakes Supermarkets

Drakes Supermarkets is a privately owned Australian grocery retailer based in South Australia. The business was established in 1974 when Roger Drake, a former Coles/Myer manager, acquired a small three-aisle store in Mitcham, Adelaide. Originally trading as Jack and Jill’s, the store cost $29,000 and employed four people. A second, substantially larger store opened at Torrensville in 1977, providing the foundation for the chain’s subsequent expansion. Drakes grew through a combination of new stores and acquisitions. By 2005, the business owned 27 Foodland stores and three Timesavers stores in South Australia, six stores in Queensland, several newsagencies, a liquor outlet and a sizeable property portfolio. Its expansion included the acquisition of Davids and Franklins supermarkets in South Australia and six Queensland stores purchased during 2004. For many years, the majority of its supermarkets traded under the Foodland, IGA or Supa IGA banners supplied through Metcash, while other outlets used the Timesavers name. The company progressively consolidated its identity under the Drakes name. Queensland Supa IGA stores began changing to the Drakes banner in November 2017, and the South Australian stores were rebranded in 2019, ending Drakes’ operation of Foodland-branded stores. The rebranding made the family name the central consumer-facing identity across the chain and differentiated the business from the independent-banner model historically associated with its stores. Drakes operates a range of retail formats. Its standard supermarkets are medium-sized stores offering groceries, fresh produce, bakery, meat, seafood, dairy, frozen products, delicatessen lines and household goods. Smaller Market stores emphasize convenience and include a comparatively strong range of organic, vegetarian and vegan products. Fruit Shed outlets focus on fresh produce, including imperfect or cosmetically irregular items sold at lower prices. A newer concept introduced at Wayville in 2018 used a more experiential layout with features such as fresh juice, popcorn, kombucha and prepared hot food; similar styling was later adopted at other stores. The company has also invested in vertically integrated supply operations. It owns meat-processing or distribution facilities in South Australia and Queensland and operates It’s Fresh businesses supplying fruit and vegetables in both states. In 2014, Drakes acquired Wilson’s Fresh Produce in Rocklea, Brisbane, rebranding it as It’s Fresh Queensland while retaining its wholesale customers. Drakes also operates two Adelaide newsagencies and five Cellarbrations liquor stores in South Australia. Its online grocery operation serves selected stores, and its corporate platter service was rebranded from Drakes’ Little Site of Platters to Feed Me by Drakes in 2021. A major infrastructure investment was the company’s distribution centre at Edinburgh North in Adelaide’s northern suburbs. Announced in 2018 and opened in September 2019, the facility represented an $80 million investment and reduced Drakes’ reliance on Metcash for South Australian distribution. The company retained a separate supply arrangement for Queensland stores. This move reflected Drakes’ broader strategy of controlling more of its procurement, logistics and fresh-food supply chain. Drakes is also known for community-oriented programs. Its Community Dollars scheme directs a small contribution from qualifying purchases to participating community groups, with different contribution rates applying in South Australia and Queensland. The company has also worked with suppliers and the Bedford Group on charity showbags sold during the Royal Adelaide Show. Despite its regional focus, Drakes has become one of Australia’s largest independent supermarket operators. Reference material has reported annual turnover of approximately A$1 billion and a workforce exceeding 5,500, although these figures are tied to specific historical periods rather than a current public financial disclosure.

Drakes Supermarkets began in 1974 when Roger Drake purchased a small supermarket in Mitcham, Adelaide. Drake had previously worked as a manager for Coles/Myer and entered independent retail with a three-aisle store known as Jack and Jill’s. The business began with four employees and a purchase price of $29,000. In 1977, Drake acquired a second store at Torrensville, giving the young company its first full-size supermarket and a platform for regional growth. During the following decades, Drakes expanded across South Australia and into Queensland through acquisitions and store development. By 2005, its portfolio included 27 Foodland stores and three Timesavers stores in South Australia, six Queensland stores, newsagencies, a liquor outlet and property assets. The company’s growth was supported by acquisitions of Davids and Franklins supermarkets in South Australia and six Queensland stores bought during 2004. Although the business was owned by the Drake family, many of its outlets operated under banners associated with Metcash, particularly Foodland, IGA and Supa IGA. Drakes diversified beyond conventional supermarket retail. It established fresh-produce supply operations in South Australia and Queensland and developed its own meat facilities, giving it greater influence over sourcing, processing and quality control. In 2014, it acquired Wilson’s Fresh Produce in Rocklea, Brisbane. The business became It’s Fresh Queensland and continued serving existing wholesale customers. Together with It’s Fresh South Australia, the operation formed part of Drakes’ vertically integrated fresh-food model. The chain’s store concepts also evolved. Smaller Market stores were introduced in 2015, with an emphasis on convenience and specialist food categories such as organic, vegetarian and vegan products. Fruit Shed outlets were developed in Queensland and later South Australia to sell fresh produce, including imperfect items, at reduced prices. In 2018, the Wayville store in South Australia became a new concept location featuring a revised layout, fresh juice, popcorn, kombucha and prepared hot food. Similar design elements were subsequently introduced at other stores. A significant identity change began in Queensland in November 2017, when Supa IGA stores started to adopt the Drakes name. The South Australian stores followed in 2019, removing the Foodland identity from the chain. This change established Drakes as a unified retail brand rather than a group of stores trading under several independent-banner arrangements. Supply-chain independence became another major strategic theme. In 2018, Drakes announced an $80 million distribution centre at Edinburgh North in Adelaide’s northern suburbs. The facility was officially opened in September 2019 and allowed the company to end its Metcash distribution contract for South Australian stores. Drakes maintained a separate five-year Metcash arrangement for its Queensland stores. The company continued to operate its own fresh-produce and meat facilities in both states. By the late 2010s, reference material described Drakes as one of Australia’s largest independent supermarket businesses, with annual turnover of about A$1 billion and more than 5,500 employees at the relevant time. Drakes also operated two newsagencies, five Cellarbrations liquor stores and an online grocery service serving selected locations. Its corporate platter operation was renamed Feed Me by Drakes in 2021. Community engagement has remained part of the brand’s identity. Community Dollars allows participating community groups to receive contributions linked to customer purchases, while the annual Drakes Charity Showbags support several health, disability and emergency-service organizations. The business has also faced labor-compliance criticism: a settlement relating to 2014–2020 underpayments covered overtime, penalty rates and unlawful uniform deductions. In 2023, its adoption of Afterpay prompted concern from the South Australian Council of Social Service about consumer debt risks. Drakes remains a privately owned regional supermarket chain centered on South Australia and Queensland.

• 2023

  Afterpay introduced across stores

  [1]Drakes Supermarketsen.wikipedia.org

  Drakes makes the buy-now-pay-later service available across its store network.

• 2021

  Corporate platter service becomes Feed Me by Drakes

  [1]Drakes Supermarketsen.wikipedia.org

  Drakes rebrands its corporate platter and catering website as Feed Me by Drakes.

• 2019

  South Australian stores adopt Drakes branding

  [1]Drakes Supermarketsen.wikipedia.org

  South Australian Foodland stores transition to the Drakes Supermarkets name.

• 2019

  Edinburgh North facility opens

  [1]Drakes Supermarketsen.wikipedia.org

  The new distribution centre officially opens and supports Drakes’ South Australian operations.

• 2018

  Edinburgh North distribution centre announced

  [1]Drakes Supermarketsen.wikipedia.org

  Drakes announces an $80 million distribution centre in Adelaide’s northern suburbs.

• 2018

  Wayville concept store opens

  [1]Drakes Supermarketsen.wikipedia.org

  A new store concept opens at Wayville with an experiential layout and expanded prepared-food features.

• 2017

  Queensland Supa IGA stores begin Drakes rebrand

  [1]Drakes Supermarketsen.wikipedia.org

  The company begins moving Queensland Supa IGA stores to the unified Drakes identity.

• 2015

  Market store format introduced

  [1]Drakes Supermarketsen.wikipedia.org

  Drakes introduces smaller Market stores with an emphasis on convenience and specialist dietary categories.

• 2014

  Fresh-produce business expands in Queensland

  [1]Drakes Supermarketsen.wikipedia.org

  Drakes acquires Wilson’s Fresh Produce in Rocklea and rebrands it as It’s Fresh Queensland.

• 2004

  Queensland expansion

  [1]Drakes Supermarketsen.wikipedia.org

  The company purchases six Queensland stores between August and October as part of its interstate growth.

• 1977

  Second store acquired at Torrensville

  [1]Drakes Supermarketsen.wikipedia.org

  Drakes opens its first full-size supermarket at Torrensville, establishing a base for further expansion.

• 1974

  First Mitcham store opens

  [1]Drakes Supermarketsen.wikipedia.org

  Roger Drake starts the business with a small three-aisle supermarket in Mitcham, Adelaide, trading as Jack and Jill’s.

A locally owned independent supermarket chain combining full-service grocery retail, fresh-produce specialization, regional supply-chain control and community-focused programs.

• Supermarket retail · 1974

  Standard Drakes Supermarkets

  The chain’s principal store format is a medium-sized supermarket positioned somewhat below the scale of the largest Australian national chains. Stores typically provide a broad grocery assortment together with fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, bakery items, dairy, frozen foods and delicatessen lines. The format combines everyday household shopping with locally managed fresh-food departments and regional product ranges.

• Compact supermarket · 2015

  Drakes Market

  Market stores are smaller outlets designed to operate in locations where a conventional supermarket would be impractical. They retain a broad food and household range while emphasizing convenience, longer trading opportunities where applicable, and specialist categories including organic, vegetarian and vegan products.

• Fresh produce retail

  Fruit Shed

  Fruit Shed locations and departments focus on fruit and vegetables, including produce that may be cosmetically imperfect but suitable for consumption. By selling selected lines at reduced prices, the format gives Drakes a value-oriented fresh-produce proposition and helps distinguish its offer from conventional supermarket produce departments.

• Corporate catering and platters · 2021

  Feed Me by Drakes

  Feed Me by Drakes is the company’s corporate platter and catering service. It evolved from the earlier Drakes’ Little Site of Platters and provides prepared platter products for workplace, event and corporate orders through a dedicated online service.

• Private-label grocery

  Value

  Value is Drakes’ value-oriented private-label range. It is intended to provide lower-priced alternatives across selected everyday grocery categories and competes with comparable entry-level supermarket and independent-retail private labels.

• 2020

  Managerial staff underpayment settlement

  Drakes settled a matter involving approximately $1.5 million in underpayments to managerial staff over the 2014–2020 period. The issues included unpaid overtime, incorrect penalty-rate payments and unlawful deductions from payslips connected with mandatory uniform items. The settlement also included approximately $590,000 in penalties and interest.

  Source

Read more

• 2018Community Dollars

  South Australia · Queensland

  Drakes’ Community Dollars program allows participating community organizations to receive a contribution associated with customer purchases. Reference material describes a contribution of one cent per dollar spent in South Australia and two cents per dollar spent in Queensland when customers present the relevant organization’s tags at checkout.

  Outcome. Reference material reports that more than $500,000 was distributed to nonprofit and community groups between 2018 and 2020.

  Source
• 2018Drakes Charity Showbags

  South Australia

  Drakes works with suppliers and the Bedford Group to sell charity showbags during the Royal Adelaide Show. The program supports Bedford Group’s Phoenix Society, Royal District Nursing Service, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Research Foundation, Flinders Medical Centre Breast Cancer Research and St John Ambulance.

  Outcome. Reference material reports that more than $250,000 was raised and 47,000 showbags were sold during 2018–2020.

  Source

• 2023

  Introduce Afterpay across the store networkOther

  Background

  Buy-now-pay-later services were becoming more widely available in Australian retail, including grocery transactions.

  Action taken

  Drakes adopted Afterpay across all of its stores.

  Aftermath

  The South Australian Council of Social Service warned that the arrangement could contribute to harmful debt traps for some shoppers.

  Source

• 2021

  Rebrand corporate platter service as Feed Me by DrakesProduct launch

  Background

  Drakes operated an online service for corporate platters under the name Drakes’ Little Site of Platters.

  Action taken

  The service was relaunched under the Feed Me by Drakes name and a dedicated online identity.

  Aftermath

  The rebrand broadened the presentation of the service beyond a supermarket platter page toward a distinct catering proposition.

  Source

• 2019

  Complete transition to the Drakes retail bannerStrategy

  Background

  The business had historically operated many stores under Foodland, IGA, Supa IGA and Timesavers identities.

  Action taken

  Following the Queensland transition that began in 2017, Drakes rebranded its South Australian stores and removed the Foodland branding from its network.

  Aftermath

  The change created a more unified customer-facing brand across the company’s principal markets.

  Source

• 2018

  Build an independent South Australian distribution centreStrategy

  Background

  Drakes sought greater control over grocery distribution and reduced dependence on its existing wholesale and logistics arrangements.

  Action taken

  The company announced an $80 million distribution centre at Edinburgh North in Adelaide’s northern suburbs.

  Aftermath

  The facility opened in September 2019 and supported the end of Drakes’ Metcash distribution contract for South Australian stores, while a separate Queensland arrangement continued.

  Planned investment. A$80 million announced investment (2018 announcement)

  Source

1. 1Drakes Supermarketsen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Drakes Supermarkets official websitedrakes.com.au