Thomas Dux was an Australian chain of gourmet grocery storesoperated byWoolworths from 2008 to 2017. It sold a range of local and imported fresh foods and grocery items. Products included fresh fruit and vegetables, dairy products, artisan-style baked breads, oils and vinegars, pasta and sauces, condiments, prepared meals, chocolate products, fresh meat and fresh flowers. Thomas Dux specialised in organic, gluten-free, preservative-free and free-range foods. Local boutique suppliers included Saskia Beer, Maggie Beer, Simmone Logue, Herbies, Ornella, Phillippa's, Rowie's, Brasserie Bread, Phillippa's and Geoff Jansz. Fruit and vegetables were sourced directly from the wholesale markets in Sydney and Melbourne on a daily basis.
History
Woolworths launched Thomas Dux, an upmarket grocery store, in April 2008 and operated two stores in the Sydney suburbs of Paddington and Lane Cove. In May 2009, Woolworths announced the acquisition of up to nine boutique grocery store leases from Macro Wholefoods, with the intention to rebadge the stores under the Thomas Dux brand. The first of the rebadged stores opened in August 2009. From 2014, Woolworths started closing some stores, with speculation that the entire chain would be sold or closed. In September 2014, Woolworths closed the Thomas Dux store in Surry Hills, NSW. They sold the lease on the store to About Life Pty Ltd, a Sydney-based gourmet grocer. The Surry Hills store was the first of 4 leases Woolworths would ultimately sell to About Life by 2016. In May 2015 Thomas Dux's Richmond store was sold to Little Group Projects, which then demolished it and built a 13-story apartment building on the land dubbed "Dux Richmond Hill". In January 2016 the chains Glen Waverley store was closed, and throughout the remainder of 2016 Thomas Dux's Hornsby store in NSW was closed, while its Lane Cove, Crows Nest and Port Melbourne outlets were taken over by About Life. In 2017 the 4 remaining Thomas Dux stores were closed. The 2 remaining Melbourne locations, Black Rock and Armadale, as well as the Paddington store in NSW were rebranded as Woolworths Metro stores. The Mona Vale store in NSW was taken over by Flannerys. As of December 2017, Thomas Dux has ceased trading altogether.
