If you haven’t paid the lush hinterland
township of Nimbin a visit I strongly
suggest you do yourself a favour and
take the scenic drive. Nimbin and its
surrounding localities make up the
“Rainbow Region” a term which holds
great cultural significance to the traditional
owners of the land the Bundjalung people.
The energy in the area makes you want to
sit and soak it all in.
Nimbin Emporium
How long has Nimbin Emporium been
operating?
This is an historic general store. It is
over 100 years old. It was purchased
during the Aquarius festival by Ramon
Tighe and partners in around 1974. He
still owns the building. We have been
leasing it for 25 years.
The health food section was an
addition of Ramon. When we purchased
the business, twenty five years ago, it
had basic bulk foods and vitamins. This
year, we did a major renovation in the
health food:
New floor, new ceiling, new walls,
new serving area, new refrigeration and
new shelving has served to expand our
fresh range and make the area more
ergonomic to benefit customers and
staff.
Who are your main types of customers?
Our demographic is varied. All our
customers are educated in good food
choices and are health conscious.
Our demographic is also represented
by customers of all ages. We cater
to special dietary needs and have an
50 Complete Health
excellent range of gluten free, vegetarian
and vegan foods and paleo and keto
options
What is it about your store that
is distinctly different from other
supermarkets?
We have a philosophy of giving our
customers what they want. We will
buy product in on request. We spend an
inordinate amount of time researching
range and adding to our range as food
trends alter.
What are the changes in peoples buying
habits you have noticed over the past
couple of years?
People here want real food as opposed
to fake processed foods. Our customer
base is increasingly more conscious
of food choices for themselves and
their loved ones. Having said that,
our customer base has always been
discerning with their food choices.
What are the fastest moving categories
within your store?
Health food, dairy, fruit and vegetables
and meat. This of course, is real food.
What trends do you predict over the next
twelve months?
Fresh and organic are growing. We are
expanding refrigeration in the grocery
section of our shop in the next couple
of months.. The health food renovation
in May this year expanded fresh whole
foods enormously.
What made you decide to introduce
the natural health foods and wellness
products into your business?
Our demographic want and expect it.
This store was one of the very early
health food stores in the area. We
continued it and expanded its range.
Where do you see the natural health
sector heading in the next couple of
years?
As people become more educated
and move away from the traditional
government food triangle, unprocessed
food, and healthy options are moving
ahead in leaps and bounds. As people
become aware they can cure type 2