Counting down to long, long service

MANAGER: Richard Croucher has headed Countdown Trafalgar Square for a year but has been with the firm for 35 years straight. PICTURE / PAUL BROOKS

Today, February 21, local store manager Richard Croucher celebrates 35 continuous years' employment with the Countdown supermarket chain.

In fact, it has been longer in total.
"I joined Foodtown [as it was] in Glenfield when I was 16 and I left when I was 21 to go on my OE. But when I went to Australia I ended up working at Woolworths Chermside in Brisbane for just under a year. We're owned by Woolworths now. When I returned in 1983 I rejoined the company."

Richard started off part-time in the produce department and joined fulltime on a trainee scheme when he was 18.
"In those days you spent a certain amount of time in each department. My first job was looking after the retail freezers, then checkout operator and all the different positions around the place.
"My first management position was called a second assistant floor manager which was actually in charge of checkouts in Te Atatu North. I was made assistant manager then store manager in 1986, so I've been a store manager for nearly 32 years. I've been happy being a store manager: I haven't wanted to go further."

Richard came to Whanganui just over a year ago from Auckland where he was managing the Milford Countdown store.
He asked to be allowed to come to Whanganui so he and his wife could get out of Auckland, although he does commute to the store from Palmerston North.
He says he gets inquiries from Countdown employees who want to move to Whanganui from other parts of New Zealand.
"I've taken a couple of Aucklanders on," he says.
Countdown Wanganui has 86 people on its staff.
"I enjoy working with people and meeting people, and I like to think we have a positive impact on people's lives. It's enjoyable giving people opportunities so they can fulfil their potential."

Richard has a policy of recognising and rewarding standout staff members, which is why there is a low staff turnover at his store. There is always room for people to advance; back in the day he had Progressive Enterprises' now managing director, Dave Chambers, as his fresh food assistant at Countdown Browns Bay in Auckland.

He says the Trafalgar Square store is growing, particularly the online business.
"One of the exciting things about the store manager's role is that when you go to work you know what you want to do during the day, but that can change very quickly."