Hawkes Bay Today
  • Hawke's Bay Today home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Havelock North
  • Central Hawke's Bay
  • Tararua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Gisborne

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Hawkes Bay Today

Big lines at big box stores as Hawke's Bay gets its shopping fix

By Blair Voorend
Hawkes Bay Today·
14 May, 2020 01:21 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Shoppers at Kmart in Hastings said that some people were totally ignoring the social distancing rules. Photo / Paul Taylor

Shoppers at Kmart in Hastings said that some people were totally ignoring the social distancing rules. Photo / Paul Taylor

Big queues and a perceived lack of social distancing as big box retail opened its doors for the first time in six weeks in Hawke's Bay has been queried by eager shoppers.

Long lines were seen outside Kmart Hastings and both Warehouses in Hastings and Napier, with shoppers commenting on social media about the potential risk of standing in them.

One Hastings shopper told Hawke's Bay Today she went to Kmart early this morning and waited about 20 minutes, which she said wasn't bad considering the line was long.

READ MORE:
• Shop Hawke's Bay
• Business as usual: What remains open in Hawke's Bay during lockdown
• Some Hawke's Bay shoppers continue to ignore PM's 'shop normal' message
• Hawke's Bay design shop creates free downloadable colouring in story book

She said that when she arrived many people weren't social distancing and it wasn't until security started to enforce a 2 metre rule that people started to keep their distance.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

She said everyone was offered hand sanitiser at the door and all the shelves were well stocked, and people were able to move through swiftly once inside.

At the door of Warehouse in Hastings people were offered hand sanitiser as they walked in. Photo / Paul Taylor
At the door of Warehouse in Hastings people were offered hand sanitiser as they walked in. Photo / Paul Taylor

Others commented on Facebook that people were lining up outside the stores already at 7am, an hour before opening.

Representatives for Kmart NZ have been approached for comment.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Discover more

Businesses struggle after 1931 earthquake

01 May 07:00 PM
Tourism

'Baycation' approved: A trip from Wellington to Napier gets PM's cautious tick

07 May 03:50 AM
Sport

Hawke's Bay Rugby says club, secondary and junior rugby will be able to start under level 2

10 May 06:00 PM

Cranford Hospice's services at risk post Covid-19

12 May 09:34 PM
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Hawkes Bay Today

Hawkes Bay Today

How new speed limits are making Hastings schools safer

Hawkes Bay Today

Heavy rain watch north of Napier, potential to be upgraded to warning

Hawkes Bay Today

Four crashes in Hawke’s Bay send four to hospital


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Hawkes Bay Today

How new speed limits are making Hastings schools safer
Hawkes Bay Today

How new speed limits are making Hastings schools safer

The changes are part of Hastings' early rollout of lower speed limits.

16 Jul 03:49 AM
Heavy rain watch north of Napier, potential to be upgraded to warning
Hawkes Bay Today

Heavy rain watch north of Napier, potential to be upgraded to warning

16 Jul 01:20 AM
Four crashes in Hawke’s Bay send four to hospital
Hawkes Bay Today

Four crashes in Hawke’s Bay send four to hospital

15 Jul 11:58 PM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Hawke's Bay Today e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Hawke's Bay Today
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP