An Altona supermarket suffered a community backlash after an RSL poppy seller was banned from inside the Pier Street store.
Many, including the Altona Village Traders Association, were outraged that Coles’ decision left volunteer Peter Waters, who uses a wheelchair, only able to sell poppies out in the street.
Altona RSL general manager David Hanson said his club was informed on Monday of last week that Mr Waters would not be able to continue to fundraise for the Poppy Appeal inside the store.
“We’re unsure of the total reasons behind why we’re not able to set up inside at this stage because obviously they’ve been great supporters in the past,” Mr Hanson said last week.
“We’ve been selling in Coles since I’ve been here – I’ve been here nine years. To my knowledge, it’s always been inside.”
IGA supermarket swiftly invited the RSL to sell poppies in its store, where the RSL will now have a stall until November 11.
A Coles spokeswoman subsequently issued an apology.
“We are pleased to welcome the RSL selling poppies inside our store,” she said. “We have also apologised to the RSL for any disappointment we may have caused by suggesting the RSL could sell poppies at the front of our store rather than inside our store.”
Traders’ president Kim Walsh said it was a victory for common sense and now people could get back to focusing on the meaning of Remembrance Day.
“We just hold our RSL and the remembrance of our Diggers very close to our hearts,” he said.
“We are like a big country town in the suburbs and Altona people just stick together.
“It’s a victory for old-fashioned common sense.”
Goya Dmytryshchak
