Woolworths is one of the two main grocery store chains in Australia alongside Coles. The name…read moreWoolworths is a familiar name as there was a department store chain of the same name in the US. The two chains are not related, though this grocery chain did use the name of the US chain as it had not been registered in Australia at time of founding. This is the same thing with the Target stores in Australia, though it is the reverse scenario as the US Target chain is the predecessor. I was visiting Hobart and was staying in the Hobart CBD. I wanted to grab a couple grocery items so I pulled up the Yelp app to find the closest grocery store. This Woolworths seemed to be the only one within the CBD that I could find so I decided to look for it. Had some trouble finding the store. Got lost as I walked through a parking structure before noticing the entrance. It is easiest to walk over to Argyle Street. When you see the car park, walk past it and enter the next building which is where this store is located. Upon entering the building, look for the Woolworths sign and take an escalator downstairs. Perhaps it was because I visited the store late in the evening, but I found the lighting here to be quite dark and dimly lit. Though I did find the store to be spacious. The prices here are comparable to Coles, which is my preferred store of the two since they seem to have better deals. Grabbed a large bottled water which costs the same at Coles along with a bag of packaged banana bread which was on sale as I didn't have time to eat out for breakfast the next day since I was going on a tour. I really liked the banana bread as it was very soft and each slice was packaged individually inside making it convenient to take as a snack when touring the island. In addition to the regular checkouts, they have self checkout machines here. And while grocery stores in Sydney still offer plastic bags to carry your groceries, it is banned in Tasmania as of a few years ago. Hence, you need to bring a grocery bag with you or buy a paper bag here for 15 cents each. If you need to grab some groceries in the Hobart CBD, this Woolworths is the most convenient option. You will probably find what you need here as the store is large. But remember to bring a bag unless you want to buy a paper bag or can hand carry your purchase.

I'm not sure in many other cities a local, independent grocery store could not only survive, but…read morethrive... But HIll St. Is still around and definitely thriving. Their original location moved a few years ago up the road, to a fancier and slightly more spacious location. They still stock mostly local products where possible, specialty items, hard-to-find things and some luxurious treats. Produce is some of the freshest around! Their flagship location on the corner of hill st and Patrick st also has a bottle shop and a florist attached for all your emergency fancy dinner party needs in a hurry. However... the rows are NARROW and when this place gets busy, it gets BUSY. You literally get your ankles banged into, trolleys whip around corners and no matter where you stand, you're always in someone's way. It's almost as if people go into a daze looking for the perfect cumquat they forget to mind where their trolley is going. They're not cheap; you will alway spend more than you've budgeted when you go. Just don't go during peak times!

Much newer than the original Hill Street grocer means it's far better set out and easier to get…read morearound in as well. The deli staff will slice you meat from very vague requests, after offering you a taste (it would be great if they had a list displayed of all those slabs they keep behind them), they also do tubs of salads and have a great selection of bits and pieces (pickled octopus, olives, capsicum, feta, sardines etc.) and storemade meals to reheat, the bread and cakes are a selection from various local bakers (the vanilla slices are amazing and HUGE), the fruit and veggies are fresh and often local - and generally much cheaper than at Coles or Woollies, the cheese selection is great (if often too expensive for my wallet), and the grocery items (chips, biscuits) are often on special too (the blocks of Cadbury chocolate are always $3, so often better value than the chain supermarkets, but they keep them behind the counter so you do have to request them). They do coffee, though I've never tried it, and hot soup in winter. Unlike the original Hill Street they don't do wine, but there is a bottleshop next door. It's much frequented by locals, particularly after school/work, at lunchtime, and on weekends, so the car park can get a little crowded.

Speaking as someone who's recently relocated from Brisbane, I certainly don't view this as "just…read moreanother supermarket" - because not even in the centre of Brisbane would you find a Coles open from 7am until midnight every day! But that's what you get at Coles Sandy Bay. Dang, Hobart, what is UP! I thought only Melbourne and possibly Sydney had the glamour of late-night grocery shopping. I'm going to go here at 11:30pm one night (ANY NIGHT OF THE WEEK), just because I can. A decent amount of on-site parking, plenty of self-service check-outs, clean aisles and well-stocked shelves. This Coles runs like a well-oiled machine. It's still a Big Guy, though, so make sure you still support the Little Guys who're sold at Coles and don't buy that "Coles Loves You" branded stuff. Even if it's half the price of the other stuff. Because that's how independent, family-run businesses are being run right out of business, and it's sad.

A smaller than normal supermarket, has all the basic necessities, but suffers from too many…read morecustomers and not enough space. They just got self service station which adds a bit to the speed at checkout.

Easy to get to from any part of the CBD, has a ton of stuff, unfortunately near a lot of great…read moreplaces to eat (you'll get sucked into spending a lot of time here :-). Small downside? The store is underground so no cell reception while you are in here.

Want to support a giant chain of supermarkets squeeze farmers and producers until they audibly POP…read moreand then wonder why the can't get any more out their corpses? Then why not visit Woolworths! Fun times can be had for everyone as the unmotivated staff move around you, shuffling items in the produce bins to make them look fresher. If you're lucky, you'll find the cheery one on the checkouts that says HI HOW ARE YOU! like he's talking in all caps, and then regale you with highly inappropriate stories about his not-yet-lived life. Don't get me wrong, it's not the employee's fault. In this economy, they'd be silly to turn down any job. A sadly regular part of my life until I find viable alternatives.

I enjoy shopping here for groceries but I also spend an extended amount of time just looking at and…read morereading all the different branding on products. It's interesting and amusing comparing graphics, images, and names to what I'm used to. Take Skippy for instance. Skippy was a beloved television show and still airs the same way some of us know Lassie. Except Skippy is a kangaroo. So there's a Skippy cereal here (not the peanut butter). Okay, work with me, sometimes I'm easily amused. An excellent grocery store that carries all the essentials and more. Lots of easy parking. Very nice staff.

Great natural gourmet grocer. They partner with all the best independent makers - so you can just…read moremake it a one stop shop! Loved the deli/bakery - huge piece of baklava! The smoked Tasmanian trout - excellent! The largest variety of micro greens we have seen on this trip - perfect topper on everything we eat. Yummy local breads - every kind you can think of. The service is so kind and warm. It's a tight store but neatly organized and will have every grocery item you would fancy! They also have a home goods and floral store attached

Hill Street Grocer has moved up the hill from their original location in order to branch out and…read moreget a whole lot bigger. This doesn't mean the old narrow aisles are any easier to traverse, it just means there are now a lot more of them. There's a lot more of everything, though. The deli counter is bigger. The fresh produce is bigger. The cheese section is enormous. There's a homewares section. There's a bloody florist. Welcome to Hill Street. Go in for one thing, come out $50 poorer.