AFTER receiving a stream of positive feedback from the students and their teachers last year, Fairleys SUPA IGA has once again decided to offer an insider’s insight into all departments across their north end store to the grade prep students of Bourchier Street Primary School (BSPS).
The concept was created when staff from BSPS approached IGA’s management team last year explained IGA staff member, Lisa Hooker, who now acts as the store’s tour guide.
“Across the course of the week we’ve had 100 students come through in three different groups,” Lisa said.
“We start with the bakery and show them how things are made, then the fruit and vegetables. We take them out the back behind-the-scenes and the sheer quantity of products blows their little minds away. We ask the kids what they think happens here, get them talking and thinking, then we go out the back and show them our giant deep freeze with the ice-cream and they’re really impressed.
“Though one of the biggest things that impresses them is the quantity of toilet paper…(laughs) they think we’re supplying toilet paper for the whole world!
“We then take them through the dairy section to see how the fridges work inside and out, walk past the deli and talk to them about the butchers. We talk about job opportunities and mention that there are no girl jobs and no boy jobs – you can do anything, it really gets them thinking, which is great.
“The kids just love it. They come back in and they say hi to all the staff when shopping with their parents; it’s all about building community – we’d offer these tours to any community group, aged care, school groups, anyone. It really brings the human side to the business.”
