Drakes becomes largest Australian independent supermarket chain from a small 1974 store in Adelaide's Mitcham
Owner Roger Drake and son John-Paul in front of the Drakes chain's new-concept store in the Adelaide suburb of Wayville.
Drakes Supermarkets, the biggest of South Australia’s arsenal of independent retail chains, started with a three-aisle shop in the Adelaide suburb of Mitchem in 1974. From the first store opened by Roger Drake, a former Coles/Myer manager, Drakes expanded to become Australia's largest independent supermarket chain, operating more than 60 stores in South Australia and Queensland.
Roger Drake’s first store, known as Jack and Jill's, was bought the store for $29,000 and employed four people. Its success led to his first full-size supermarket at suburban Torrensville in 1977. By 2005, Drake owned 27 Foodland stores in South Australia as well as three Timesavers stores, six Queensland stores, four newsagencies, a liquor outlet and a large property portfolio.
The rapid expansion was enabled by buying the Davids and Franklins supermarkets in South Australia plus six Queensland stores in 2004. Drakes gained the benefit of being exempt from WorkCover in 2006. In 2013, Drakes announced a $10 million meat processing centre at Beverley to give quality control of its meat products and greater efficiencies. The next year, Drakes' 40th, its annual turnover reached $1 billion.
Drakes bought out Wilson's Fresh Produce based in Rocklea, Queensland, its fruit and vegetable supplier for 10 years, Wilson's was rebranded as It's Fresh Queensland with wholesale customers retained. Drakes also bought out one of its South Australian fresh produce suppliers to form It's Fresh South Australia. Drakes also operated two newsagencies and three Cellarbrations liquor stores in South Australia.
Employing more than 5,500 staff nationally, Drakes in 2019 became the brand for all its outlets, previously operating under the Metcash, Foodland, IGA, Super IGA and Timesavers names. From 2019, Drakes Supermarkets were supplied from from new $80 million distribution centre in Adelaide's northern suburbs at Edinburgh North, ending its contract with grocery supplier Metcash. This was supplemented by its own fruit and vegetable distribution centre, It's Fresh, in Pooraka and meat distribution centre at Beverley. Drakes Supermarkets operatesd stores different formats: standard, market and fruit sheds.