'It just stinks': Residents outraged by Woolworths store change

One community is dead against Woolworths Metro stores moving into their area, with residents fearing the shops will lead to higher prices.

Residents in Alexandria in Sydney's inner south are angry after their only supermarket quietly changed from a normal Woolworths to a Woolworths Metro two weeks ago.

"I'm incensed that we've got so many metros around here, we desperately need a supermarket," a resident said.

"I think it just stinks," another said.

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Head of a resident's action group Vanessa Knight said the changes were "stealthily" introduced.

"I mean we literally started seeing some changes in the metro, there was a small amount of signage up and then it was suddenly here," she told A Current Affair.

She called an emergency community meeting with Woolworths for an explanation on why the store was changed.

Head of Metros for Woolworths Justin Nolan apologised to residents about not explaining the reasoning behind the store change.

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Residents fear prices will rise under the new metro model. 

Woolworths says the metro store will better cater to locals and that what doesn't sell will be replaced with more of what does, and that the store won't be shrinking. 

"Metro is nothing more than the Woolworths brand for smaller supermarkets and food stores," Nolan said.

But A Current Affair went to a Woolworths store and a Metro to compare, and what we found was a significant difference.

Watch the full story in the video player above.