Seeing double: two Countdowns in town

By NICHOLA LOBBAN nichola.lobban@wanganuichronicle.co.nz
CONTRARY to popular rumour, Trafalgar Square Countdown will not be closing once the Woolworths refurbishments are complete.
Instead, Woolworths on Victoria Ave will be rebranded as a Countdown supermarket, leaving Wanganui with two Countdown supermarkets to choose from.
Yesterday, Progressive Enterprises spokeswoman Fiona Breen told the Wanganui Chronicle the rebranding would occur next month, with the extensive refurbishment of the Woolworths supermarket expected to be completed by July 21.
There would be no redundancies as a result of the change, she said.
"The store is one of the new-generation Countdown supermarkets that are opening around the country."
The Woolworths store linked to the Gull station would not be rebranded, Ms Breen said.
The new-look store would offer low prices with improvements that matched what customers wanted, such as a wider product range, she said.
Both Countdown stores would also be able to use the Woolworths loyalty card, called Onecard, from June 30th, Ms Breen said.
Progressive Enterprises managing director Peter Smith said Victoria Ave staff were excited about the change.
"We've put a lot of work into creating a modern, easy-to-shop store with Countdown's everyday low pricing ... we've made the change to better meet local needs and competition," he said.
"We look forward to giving customers a great surprise on price and range."