Whangarei grocery shoppers will be the winners when a supermarket price war fires up from tomorrow as a new Countdown supermarket opens in the Regent, just metres from competitor New World.
The first shots in the war have been fired with the new Countdown's manager, Paul Ah Chong, promising lots of good deals as he aims to increase patronage to above the levels at Countdown's Kensington store, which the new outlet is replacing.
As well as the two close rivals, Whangarei's supermarket scene is getting even more crowded with an expanded Pak'n Save just weeks away from opening.
"Yes, we'll have some very sharp deals for people and there'll be lots of giveaways for the kids when they come through the doors with their parents," Mr Ah Chong said of the new Countdown.
"Having two [supermarkets] close by should be good for customers. There are a lot of people who look for specials in different stores and we are trying to move them away from others to come to us."