By Graham Skellern A bigger and brighter New World supermarket, employing nearly double the staff, is re-opening in Mount Maunganui on December 12. The smaller, 40-year-old supermarket was closed in early April this year and demolished to make way for the new $20 million, two-level store at Central Parade. Foodstuffs Auckland's general managerof property development Murray Jordan said the old supermarket had been over-trading for a number of years - it was on a constrained site. "We needed a new generation, full service New World to effectively meet the customer demand. "We expect all the customers to return - even those who might have turned away because of the lack of [product] range," Mr Jordan said. "It was always the right location but the size of the old store didn't do the community justice." New World is the closest supermarket to downtown Mount. Located on the corner of Maunganui Rd and Tweed St, the new supermarket will have all the department offerings - bakery, delicatessen, seafood, fresh produce and butchery. To make room, all the carparking - for 106 vehicles - is on the ground level and customers will walk to the first level to do their shopping. The modern New World has more than doubled in size to 2300 sq m and another 70 staff, fulltime and part-time will be required, taking the total to 150. Most of existing 80-strong staff took up jobs in other nearby Foodstuffs supermarkets and they can return to the new Mount store if they want to. The supermarket will continue to be operated by the franchise owner, Allan Rudkin. Foodstuffs has three New Worlds and one Pak'NSave food warehouse in Tauranga and Te Puke. And the company has bought 2.5ha of land next to the Centa Max retail centre in Papamoa for a second Pak`NSave. Mr Jordan said the timing for that supermarket has not yet been decided but building could start next year. "It is a quickly growing area and we are reviewing matters," Mr Jordan said.
