Havelock North flyer pushes for Four Square, as empty site blamed for drop in customers

The site of the former New World in Havelock North on Porter Drive. Photo / Jack Riddell

A flyer put into Havelock North raising the idea of installing a Four Square at the site of the village’s old New World has nothing to do with the grocery company.

However, a business owner who has been situated next to the site of the former supermarket for the last 43 years said she hopes it doesn’t continue to sit empty.

Andrea Napier has owned and operated Andrea’s Hair and Beauty that sits a couple of doors down from the site of the former New World since 1982.

She said she had experienced a drop-off in customers since the building has sat empty after New World moved to its new site in July last year.

“I have seen many changes, but this is not one I am happy about, to have empty buildings next to my business,” Napier said.

The flyer, written by an unnamed person, was seen in Havelock North letterboxes from last Sunday, with the headline “bring the people back into the village”.

“Power of the people, we want some more options in Havelock North,” the flyer reads.

“20 years ago we had a Four Square in Joll Rd, maybe we want another one in the Porter Drive old New World empty site.

“Our population has doubled, yet Foodstuffs and some of the land owners are not serving us with options.”

The flyer suggests a Four Square would “bring some energy back into the village” and keep the community active and friendly.

The flyer then requests readers to email Foodstuffs and express their thoughts.

Hawke’s Bay Today contacted all Hastings district councillors on the Hastings-Havelock North ward in relation to the flyer, none of whom knew who had created it or sent it out.

A Foodstuffs spokesperson said they were aware of the flyer but it was not produced or distributed by Foodstuffs North Island, or any of their member owners or store teams.

The spokesperson said at this stage they had no plans to open a new store in Havelock North.

Foodstuffs still owns the building of the former New World site on Porter Drive and appears to be using some of its large floor area for storage.

Napier said businesses near hers had also experienced a drop-off in customers and on some days she’d had staff working fewer hours as a result.

“This is not something I want to do, as I am responsible for their livelihood, all eight of my staff are important to me,” she said.

Napier wants to see another supermarket option in the space, as many of her clients have said they are venturing into Hastings for their food shopping.

“I am not attached to who it is, but food stores bring foot traffic back to town,” she said.

“I would really like our town to be alive again.”

Jack Riddell is a multimedia journalist with Hawke’s Bay Today and has worked in radio and media in Auckland, London, Berlin, and Napier.