"It's human nature to be a wee bit cautious," he said.
The violent attack appeared to have brought out the best, and worst, in the community.
Staff at other supermarkets around the city have been subjected to inappropriate comments and abuse in the wake of the stabbing.
But others in the city were showing their concern for those affected by the incident.
Countdown general manager of corporate affairs Kiri Hannifin said inappropriate comments had been made to staff both in Dunedin and elsewhere since the stabbing.
"We have zero tolerance for this, and I am distressed by the pain and revictimisation this has caused," she said.
They included a man who said "don't get stabbed" to staff heading into a blessing at the store on Wednesday.
But, she said, there had also been an outpouring of love and support from across New Zealand as customers brought flowers, cakes and chocolates to their local stores.
"These gestures have been so welcomed and appreciated."
Among those wanting to show their support was Dunedin woman Tracey Gamble. She posted on social media about her idea to give some daffodils to plant in the small garden beside the supermarket.
She also enlisted some of the pupils at St Clair Primary School and Kew Scouts to write notes of support to the staff.
"One of the sentiments on the notes written by the children was 'We're all here for you', a sentiment I could not have said better myself," she said.
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Wood said Ms Hannifin contacted him about a month ago to arrange a meeting about the escalating amount of abuse staff were facing.
As a former retail worker himself, he said he was familiar with the issues faced by those in customer-facing roles.
While most people treated them well, others used the imbalance of power to bully people and treat them poorly, he said.
