I recently returned from a business trip to Sydney, Australia, where I used to be based. I was in town to speak at the Naturally Good Expo and Naturally Good Business Summit. While there I had a look at some of Sydney's grocery retail scene, including some of the stores I used to shop at when I lived in Sydney.

One of the stores I visited was Woolworths in Crows Nest. This 'Woolies' store just reopened in April 2016 after two years of major renovation. I shopped at this Woolies during my time in Sydney; last time I was here it was still being demolished. Now, $52 million later in redevelopment, it's a completely different store. Previously it was a very tired, soulless, one-level store -- the kind that's so unpleasant, you can hardly wait to get out of it. Now it's shiny, new and includes multiple-levels.

Below are some photos I took of Woolworths located at 10 Falcon St, Crows Nest NSW 2065, Australia.

Such a beautiful structure on the outside. Crows Nest is an adorable community, but it could use some updating. The new Woolworths helps modernise the community.

Main level includes lots of grab & go options.

Spotted several products featuring the Australian Certified Organic bud, Australia's most recognised organic certification amongst Australian consumers.

This Thomas Dux corner on the first floor made me sad. I'm glad Woolworths still managed to let the brand live on in some form, but I'm disappointed that the stand alone stores no longer exist. Thomas Dux Grocer closed about two years ago. There used to be an outstanding Thomas Dux right around the corner from here; it's now a different store, called About Life. Read my blog post, photo tour of About Life here.

Stayed tuned here on our blog, #GetInHerCart, for more information on grocery retail and from our travels around the world as we speak at various conferences and conduct shopper research in different markets.

I recently returned from a few weeks working in Australia. During my time in Sydney (my old home) I visited several grocery retailers, including some of my old go-to spots from when I lived in Sydney.

For me, I study (through shop-along research) how health-conscious consumers around the world grocery shop, so I'm always keen to have a look at the in-store environment, identify new products and try to understand what's resonating with shoppers.

One of the stores I visited is About Life in Crows Nest, on Sydney's Lower North Shore. About Life is a natural supermarket and whole foods cafe with seven locations in Sydney and one in Melbourne (as of this writing.) This store was converted from a Thomas Dux Grocer store (sadly, no longer with us) to About Life about two years ago. About Life, Crows Nest is located at: 13 Willoughby Rd, Crows Nest NSW 2065, Australia. When I lived in Sydney, and this was still Thomas Dux Grocer, this store was where we bought most of our groceries.

The layout of the store is mostly the same as it was under Thomas Dux. It now features a cafe section and has been re-skinned for the About Life brand. This is a great store to discover unique and healthy products, from fresh food and packaged snacks to natural nappies and body care.

Below are photos I took while visiting About Life located at 13 Willoughby Rd, Crows Nest NSW 2065, Australia.