​DOMINIKA WHITE

New world for Waiuku

 

Waiuku New World will move next week, leaving the 30-year supermarket site at the end of Kitchener Rd up for sale.

 

Store co-owner Lex Mills says residents have outgrown the old store and they are moving to a bigger location across town on the corner of Leonard and Bowen Streets.

 

“Really the whole thing is that we know that we’ve had a lot of customers having to shop elsewhere because we haven’t had the range,” he says.

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“It will be tremendous to be able to offer our customers all the benefits of the extended range and choice provided by a bigger, new generation store.”

 

Foodstuffs Auckland owns both buildings in Waiuku and says the old one is on the market until the end of this month.

 

Located at the end of the main road into town, the old New World has been the hub of the town since its opening.

 

Sunset Sounds co-owner Sandi Pariossien believes business will remain as usual at her store across from the old supermarket.

 

“I don’t think it’s going to affect our business. I would like to say it’s lovely to see Waiuku growing.

 

“It’s lovely to have a brand new, spanking supermarket.”

 

She says she is keen to see which business will buy the old site, however she believes the property would be good for parking as there is limited parking out the back of their store on River Lane.

 

Foodstuffs Auckland rents out parking spaces to council on the side of New World closest to the Cosmopolitan Club. It is unknown whether these will remain public after the sale of the building.

 

Foodstuffs’ property manager Ian Brown says the company will consider leasing out the building if it is not sold by the end of this month.

 

Bayleys real estate agent Don Partington, who is managing the sale, says there has been some interest in the property, but cannot comment on who they are or whether they are Waiuku businesses.

 

At 3012 sq m, the new supermarket is double the size of the old store and will create another 60 jobs.

 

Mr Mills says there will be many added extras at the new supermarket, including a Lotto counter, organics and gluten-free section, fish section, counter butchery with gourmet meat and public toilets.

 

It will also have four self- service checkouts which only four other stores in Auckland now have.

 

He says the store not only houses more range in products with bigger departments, it also has more aisle and parking space.

 

The new supermarket will open at 8.30am on Tuesday July 15 with promotions in store continuing for a month.