Coromandel now home to two award-winning Four Square stores

Owner Operators of the Coromandel store, Chris and Rebecca Beard are excited about the win. Photo / Supplied

The Coromandel has a reason to celebrate as the region is now home to the top Four Square supermarket for the second year in a row.

Following the 2020 winner Four Square Matarangi, Four Square Coromandel took out the prize for best Four Square store at the 2021 Foodstuffs North Island Co-op Awards.

Owner Operators of the Coromandel store, Chris and Rebecca Beard, think the win a great testament to their excellent local service that only the "Coro" can give.

Says Chris: "It's like no other here, you'll always catch the team helping customers or checking in to see how their day has been, just really getting to know our locals on a personal level. We're able to give our shoppers that large scale shopping experience with your everyday essentials while maintaining that friendly local feel which we think is pretty special."

The couple has only taken over the store in November, after spending almost four years owning Four Square Tokomaru Bay, Gisborne, which was also a finalist for the award. Chris says it's wonderful to be able to build on the legacy of the store and be an award winner in such a short period of time.

"There's a talented team and network here and we're thrilled to be able to carry on and continue to deliver our community with the high-quality service they have come to expect from us."

The judging and decision for the award took place in August when previous owner-operators Damien and Renee Langely were still running the store, however, they are still excited for the new Coromandel team's win.

Chris says this was thanks to the value and ethos of Foodstuffs North Island which often feels like one big family. "No matter which store you're from, we're also a co-operative and that means everyone is there to lend a hand, offer advice or ready to catch up for a yarn."

The awards were held online this time, but Chris says it meant they could celebrate in real-time, in-store. "The team [was] able to watch live and get involved which built a great atmosphere. It was really special to be a part of it with each other and see the look of excitement and sense of achievement on everyone's faces."

As for next year, Chris is going for a hat-trick for the Coromandel store. "We'll continue to do what we do best, which is serve our local community and deliver fantastic products at great value and top-quality customer service. Hasn't led us wrong yet."