World Square brings premier Asian supermarket Gong Grocer to the heart of Sydney’s CBD, adding a new level of convenience and an innovative line of speciality products to the burgeoning retail precinct.
The Flagship store officially opened at 11am on Thursday, 21 September, with a traditional lion dance ceremony and ribbon cutting, which coincides with World Square’s Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations.
Led by Linh Trinh Nguyen, a co-owner and former operator behind Haymarket’s longstanding Asian supermarket institution, Thai Kee IGA, the 800m2 space features a modern fit-out combining soft natural materials with an authentic Chinese cultural flair and vibrancy. The site accommodates a complete supermarket experience complete with fresh produce and groceries, grab-and-go-ready prepared meals, fridge and frozen, while also featuring an onsite butcher, bakery, and specialty Asian liquor store.
Rosemary Antonios, General Manager of World Square said: “We are delighted to welcome Gong Grocer to World Square to join our carefully curated range of retail and dining options. It has been a long-term vision for World Square to bring a premium Asian supermarket to Sydney’s CBD and Gong Grocer provides an innovative and exciting product range. The opening coincides with our month-long Mid Autumn Festival celebrations that include a range of cultural installations designed to engage our vibrant community.
“With Australia’s migrant population growing at a record rate, an international supermarket offering such an extensive range of products to Sydney’s CBD is a boost for Sydney’s retail and late-night visitor shopping experience.”
Gong Grocer is the perfect complement to the vibrant World Square retail precinct that houses a diverse portfolio of more than 100 local and international brands and specialty retailers.
Gong Grocer Co-founder and Director, Brian Nguyen said Gong Grocer will fill a gap in Sydney’s Asian supermarket scene.
“Sydney is missing a modern Asian supermarket that really creates a holistic and refreshing experience, making Asian food, cuisine and culture accessible to all customers. It’s more than just about stocking specialised food products, it’s about creating a complete retail experience through strong visual merchandising, while having knowledgeable, multilingual customer service for all shoppers.
“World Square is a crossroads and mix of cultures and demographics and a destination to find premium brands and vibrant foods, and we feel it is the perfect fit for introducing a high-end asian grocery experience,” Nguyen.
The supermarket is the family’s flagship store, offering more than 60,000 products, local online delivery, click & collect and engaging customer loyalty programmes via its website. The supermarket will be open seven days a week from 9am to 9pm.
To complement the retail opening, World Square’s Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations include the Mooncake Festival which runs from 8 September to 9 October. Experiential installations include the lantern tunnel – a mesmerising tunnel of traditional Chinese lanterns for that Instagram moment, Chinese iconography adorning the community courtyard and stairs, Mooncake giveaways and Giggle Bunnies.
The World Square opening marks Gong Grocer’s second store under this premium new branding, and it also operates a local format at Kingsford’s IGA Local Grocer on the Anzac Pde near the university (UNSW).
Signature Supermarket Features:
- The Butcher Empire – a premium butcher specialising in Asian cuts, including wagyu, beef, lamb, chicken and specialty meats
- Haymarket Bakery Cafe – baking onsite bread and cakes daily, drinks and coffee
- Asian specialty liquor store – offering sake, soju, craft beer, spirits, wines and many more international products
- Dedicated wall for instant noodles with more than 500 specialty noodles from across South-East Asia
- Self-serve hotpot ingredients station
- Exotic Asian fruits and vegetables delivered fresh daily
- Ready-made grab-and-go meals from Sydney institutions, such as XOPP, Arisun, Din Tai Fung and more
- Fresh desserts, cakes, mochi, macarons and mooncakes for the Mid-Autumn Festival
