Imagine your daily or weekly grocery shop involving a seven-hour round trip through the desert.

Watch online: The Store With More

Many remote Aboriginal communities don't need to imagine this; it's a typical experience in the outback, and it makes life, and healthy eating, difficult.

Now, with the opening of an Outback Store, the community of Imanpa in the Northern Territory is taking control of its access to groceries and boosting the local economy.

"They can spend their money in the community rather than going and spending it elsewhere, so that's the main idea...to keep our business here in the community" Tanya Luckey told Living Black.

Join video journalist Kris Flanders as he browses the shelves at Imanpa's new grocery store.

TRANSCRIPT:

VOICEOVER: The tiny community of Imanpa doubled in size for the official opening of the new Outback Store and locals say it was worth the wait.

TANYA LUCKEY: This community has been battling a long hard road to get this store built and happening in Imanpa. So this is a good celebration day for us today.

VOICEOVER: Until July, Imanpa locals had to make the 600 kilometre round-trip to Alice Springs to buy market products that people living in regional and urban centres easily access.

EDDIE MILES: To go to Alice Springs, for them, to do their weekly grocery shopping is just non-viable, the travel in the cars, the cost of fuel for the people within the community, but having the store within their own community is better. They have the money to buy items.

TANYA LUCKEY: This store is really important for them, they've got a nice big store to shop in, they can spend their money in the community rather then going and spending it elsewhere, so that's the main idea is to keep our business here in the community happening.

VOICEOVER: Outback Stores was designed three years ago to give remote Indigenous people affordable, quality groceries with profits going back to the community.

With the support of major retailers, the Federal Government and traditional owners, 28 Outback Stores are now up and running in Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia.

JOHN KOP: The response is just fantastic, one really good thing is, as I keep saying this is a partnership. Outback Stores doesn't own the stores, the community owns them. They've got their own committee, they run them, and Outback Stores just simply brings a level of retail expertise. So we can really bring that training and capacity to the community. OUT: 03:58

VJ: There's about 150 people living here at Imanpa and now with the community store open, they'll have to access to things that you and I may take for granted...like vegetables and fresh fruit.

VOICEOVER: Nutrition and affordability isn't the only benefit.

With food security at Imanpa, the community is starting to grow again.

EDDIE MILES: There has been family members coming back to the community.

VOICEOVER: The produce is carefully selected and transported to the communities by refrigerated containers.

The communities closest to Alice Springs receive weekly deliveries further away it's every two weeks.

TANYA LUCKEY: The kids they need their fruit and veges for a good strong healthy body and that's one of the main reasons we got a new store.

VOICEOVER: With everything from toothpaste to cereal to kangaroo tails it really is the store with more.

Source: Living Black SBS