All work on the upgrade will be completed before Easter.
Store owner Robin Brown said that the customer reaction to what
has already been completed has been amazing.
"As customers walk into the store we have a new Obsess coffee
counter with fully trained barista there to greet them. We have
also relocated and extended our fresh fruit and vegetable section
as well as our butchery and specialty meat area, seafood section
including mussel merchandiser, our service deli and our bakery.
"By opening up these sections the way we have, customers are
amazed to find that we actually have fully qualified butchers with
whom they can discuss the merits of a particular cut of meat. We
even have a chef who will advise them on different ways to cook
that meat, or the seafood they have purchased.
"One of the biggest eye-openers for customers has been the
bakery where we are a pilot for the South Island in baking our own
European-styled bread.
"We have brought in a special oven from France and in total, the
department will have five bakers, two apprentices, three packers
and three part-time workers. Already sales of ciabatta have doubled
and the demand for the different types of pizza bread is
unbelievable.
"Because the new oven is front of shop some customers are now
only becoming aware that we have our own bakers on premises, and
have always done so," he said.
Adjacent to the new entranceway, one of the more noticeable
changes presently being undertaken is the extension of the
checkouts from 14 to 19, including having six lanes for
self-checkout.
"Self checkouts are becoming standard throughout New World
supermarkets. It is just one of those features that have really
taken off, although there are some who still prefer the standard
format.
"Most of the work left to be completed will relate to the
interior layout. We are just about to start on the relocation of
our wine and beer department to a much larger area and then we will
progressively work through the other areas.
"With a revamp of this magnitude, basically an entire new
supermarket, there is going to be inconvenience for our customers
and I would like to thank them for their understanding. Thankfully
the structural stuff is now done, and the relocation and upgrading
of the different departments has already started," Robin Brown
said.
When completed the supermarket will be 500 sq m or 20% bigger
than previously while the car park was recently increased from 95
to 150.