Countdown is over for Taupō's new supermarket

Countdown store manager Jess Stubbs prepares to open the new Taupō store. Photo / Milly Fullick

The supermarket scene in Taupō is getting a freshen-up with a new Countdown opening today and the old one in the CBD scheduled to be demolished and rebuilt next year.

The staff at Taupō's newest supermarket have been hard at work this week, stocking shelves and making sure everything is in its place.

The official opening of the Kokomea Park Countdown was held at 8.30am on Thursday, October 20.

Store manager Jess Stubbs is no stranger to Taupō, having managed the existing Countdown in the CBD.

After a secondment to Gisborne to assist with a new store opening there, he is back and excited to bring a new offering to shoppers here.

"I love Taupō", he says, and he is eager to "offer the local community something different".

The older supermarket site, now known as Countdown Central Taupō, has been in use for almost 62 years. There are big changes planned for this store next year, when it will be demolished and rebuilt on the same site.

Shoppers trying out the new Countdown at Kokomea Park will notice a few differences from the old store.

Although it is about the same size as the Central store, a better design means the available space is better utilised. This means a more logical layout and space for a bigger product range, which will include more premium lines.

Sustainability has been considered too, with doors on the fridges and freezers to prevent energy wastage, and digital shelf labels in place of paper price tags.

Jess hopes people will be surprised by the atmosphere of the store, which he thinks will be "good for the Taupō community", who have made do with a more basic shopping experience until now.

The area around the new Countdown is also under development, with more new commercial spaces to come over the next year. Retail and dining spaces are planned, along with a new medical centre, a motel and further parking areas.

This is in addition to the retirement village and hundreds of new homes in the area.

The Countdown store has also created about 80 new jobs, with new staff having trained at the Central site so they are ready to hit the ground running on Thursday.

Some of those new workers will staff the store's online order offering, where shoppers can order ahead of time using a computer or the Countdown app, then collect their groceries from a special covered area at the side of the store.

Jess encourages the public to come and see what the new store can offer them. Thursday's launch has seen special offers and prizes, with spin-the-wheel events for the kids continuing into the Labour Day weekend.