It?s all change on supermarket scene

A HIGH class New World supermarket at the north end of Masterton, a massive Pak'n Save complex complete with its own petrol station in the centre of town, a boutique Shoprite outlet emerging from the present New World store in Church Street and a massive upgrade for Carterton's New World.
These announcements peppered Foodstuffs' Wellington regional managing director Tony McNeil's speech at a business breakfast in Masterton yesterday.
Wairarapa's three mayors and many key business developers attended. Details of the supermarket shake up in Wairarapa left them reeling at the scope of the changes allied to what was happening in the national food industry.
Foodstuffs is running head on with its prime competitor Woolworths in its battle for the consumer dollar.
Mr McNeil outlined mega stores being built around the country, his company's move into selling products other than food, the associated fuel outlets set up alongside the supermarkets and the stand alone liquor outlets all aiming towards for the "ultimate shopping experience".
Carterton's Mayor Gary McPhee had one of the biggest smiles yesterday when he learned that the New World in Carterton was to be upmarketed and expanded southwards.
"It's great news for the town as the supermarket is the hub of a community," he said.
Mr McNeil said work is due to get underway early next year.
Jeff Yates, who is the owner operator of the Carterton New World, said the work would be in three stages. "Next year we will see an upgraded frontage and the introduction of some brands not currently available. Extension of the store will occur later on. Literally watch this space," he said.
Mr McNeil will be back in Masterton in November for the official opening of the Pak'n Save store in central Masterton.
Establishing a new supermarket is no mean feat he says indicating it takes around 10 years to develop an entirely new store.
Mr McNeil said an average New World store in New Zealand sees 20-30,000 people pass through it in a week.
Work is also being carried out inside the Write Price building at the north end of Masterton, which is to become a New World supermarket. David Livingstone will continue as the manager.
Immediately Pak'n Save opens, the New World at Kuripuni closes and the building will be demolished. Kuripuni New World owner-operators Paul and Mary De Lara-Bell will take over the running of Pak'n Save.
This Pak'n Save project was made possible for Foodstuffs with the behind the scenes purchasing over several years of the land by the Masterton Trust Lands Trust.
The Foodstuffs grocery co-operative consists of Foodstuffs (Auckland) Ltd, Foodstuffs (Wellington) Co-operative Society Ltd and Foodstuffs South Island Ltd.
The national brands under its umbrella are Pak'n Save, New World, Four Square and Write Price.
The Federation body, Foodstuffs (NZ) Ltd, is based in Wellington and is run by a 13 member board of directors, including David Kershaw from Martinborough.
The Foodstuffs organisation began in 1925 and is 100 per cent New Zealand owned. Each regional company is owned by its retail members and operates autonomously with its own board and management.
Foodstuffs has also recently developed its own specialist outlet chain, Duffy and Finn's, with six of these outlets expected throughout New Zealand, although not in Wairarapa, by the end of 2006. The format of the stores is apparently modelled on Woolworth's' successful Dan Murphy's liquor barns in Australia.