Having previously held roles at ASB Bank, Shell and Fletcher Energy, Mr Muggleston has extensive experience managing IT functions in both New Zealand and overseas, including technology management and delivery, strategic planning, infrastructure planning and process improvement.

Mr Price comes to Foodstuffs Wellington from his role as General Manager for property development at the Redwood Group, where he gained valuable project life cycle experience. This included development of the Rail Precinct, Pipitea Plaza and Kate Sheppard Exchange.

Previously, Mr Price worked with and held senior positions within major property and development companies in New Zealand including Merge Property Group, Trans Tasman Properties, Symphony Group and Rider Levett Bucknall.

At Foodstuffs Wellington, Mr Price will be responsible for the implementation of the company's property strategy, including ongoing site development in the Lower North Island.

Undercover actors from the theatre company ConArtists were covertly filmed as they sought shopper assistance. Whether it was a broken mobility scooter needing a jump-start, a shopper juggling crutches with their shopping or a sandwich board holder needing a bathroom break, throughout the country fellow shoppers were always willing to help.

Foodstuffs New Zealand Managing Director, Steve Anderson says, "We were interested to see how much Christmas spirit was out there this year, and who was the most likely to step in and help a fellow customer in need? We thought it might be nice to reward people who weren't looking for anything in return - they simply went out of their way to help a complete stranger. For us that's true Christmas spirit and in our own little way we want to recognise that for this is what Christmas is all about."

The PAK'nSAVE Undercover Christmas was designed to measure generosity and Christmas spirit across the country. Reactions to the covert operation ranged from quick apologies from those in a rush, to caring concern and in some cases extreme lengths were undertaken to provide assistance. Officially, the regions that demonstrated the most overall Christmas spirit were Wellington and Christchurch, with more than half of all people approached offering to help out.

Wellingtonians were the most likely to go to extreme lengths with 70% prepared to go and get their car and provide a jump start to a customer with a flat battery in their mobility scooter. In Auckland, 75% of customers at checkout proved they were more than willing to offer a couple of dollars to help someone caught short at the till.

PAK'nSAVE's Undercover Christmas showed that despite our busy lives, people are still prepared to take time out to help those in need - and this time in recognition of their Christmas spirit PAK'nSAVE gave them an unexpected bonus for their trouble.

Merry Christmas New Zealand from the Stickman and the rest of the team at PAK'nSAVE.

Click here to watch the video

Stores currently closed but re-opening throughout the day are:

• Kaiapoi New World - opening at 10am
• Stanmore New World - expected to open mid-morning

Our supply chain is intact and we encourage customers to continue to purchase normally as essential supplies of food and water will remain available in all our stores.

All Henry's and Four Square stores across the region remain open.

Stores which are currently closed but hope to re-open tomorrow are:

• Bishopdale New World
• Fendalton New World
• Northwood New World
• Stanmore New World
• South City New World
• Northlands PAK'nSAVE
• Kaiapoi New World
• Ilam New World
• Riccarton PAK'nSAVE
• Wainoni PAK'SAVE

Foodstuffs can confirm that our supply chain is intact and we encourage customers to continue to purchase normally as essential supplies of food and water will remain available in all of our stores.

We recommend customers check this website for the latest store information.

The heartfelt presentation had several staff members amongst the large gathering wiping tears from their eyes, not the least owner Jacqueline Palmer.

Kate Wilkinson, Member of Parliament for Waimakariri, in officially opening the supermarket, said that an investment of this magnitude in a community that had been hard hit by the earthquake was a great boost of confidence for the community.

The new supermarket is approximately 2400 sq metres, which is about 400 sq metres bigger than the original building and there are 194 carparks. It sits on the same site as the previous building, but the car park has been reconfigured to allow for a better flow of traffic.

Amongst the features of the new supermarket are:

• An espresso coffee counter at the entrance to the supermarket
• A larger wine and beer area with a correspondingly greater choice
• A bigger, more customer friendly butchery
• A larger fish and seafood area including a cabinet for fresh mussels
• A bigger deli and cheese stand

"In areas such as butchery, seafood and deli we are wanting to return to the old fashioned style where customers can interact over the counter.

"We want our customers to be able to talk with our trade certified butchers, for example, so they can discuss the different cuts of meat on display and ways that it should be cooked. The same for the bakery, seafood and deli."

The checkout area has also been extended from nine lanes to 14, including six self-scan lanes.

Construction of the new New World will be on the site of the existing store, being on the corner of Bridge and Union Streets. The store is to be 2,515m² and provide 143 car parks.

Jimmy Heal, the owner/operator of New World Opotiki, is looking forward to opening the new store, and providing the community with an even better food and grocery offer. "The new New World will be a great store," says Heal. "It is exciting for me to have the opportunity to open a brand new store that is twice the size of the current store, I really can't wait."

The existing New World will remain open throughout the construction period. "The New World team are focused on our customers, and we will work extra hard during this time to make sure their shopping experience remains as convenient and enjoyable as possible," adds Heal.

All Foodstuffs stores are 100% New Zealand owned and operated. Foodstuffs brands include PAK'nSAVE, New World, Four Square, Gilmours and Liquorland.

"We have been out of action since the September 4 earthquake and in that time some of our former staff have managed to get new jobs, often in other New World supermarkets, and others have moved out of the town.

"But the good thing is that we have 41 of our former staff back. In fact, nearly every one of our former staff who applied have received jobs," they said.

Some staff are receiving their training at other New World supermarkets such as Rangiora, Ilam and Halswell, while others will receive theirs at the Kaiapoi site starting next week.

The Palmers were not short of choice for new staff with 870 people applying for the 90 positions, 45 of which are fulltime.

"We have several staff who lost their homes in the September earthquake and who have already bought another property in Kaiapoi. Getting back to work is just another step forward for them," they said.

New World Silverstream, in association with Foodstuffs Wellington, has built the new kindergarten worth in excess of $1 million beside the Foodstuffs Wellington head office.  It was designed by Wellington architects Architecture HDT.

The new kindergarten is on a larger site, provides twice the floor space of the current premises and has a large on-site car park to ensure convenient, safe access. Construction began in the second quarter of 2011.

The current kindergarten land by Silverstream Shopping Centre will be amalgamated into the New World supermarket premises allowing for expansion to meet the grocery requirements of the local community.  The supermarket has lodged a resource consent for development which will be heard on December 19.

Antony Russell, Owner-Operator of New World Silverstream says the Rimutaka Kindergarten Association will own the new premises and the land which means the long-term presence of the kindergarten in the local community is assured.

"We are delighted to be involved in such a valuable community initiative that provides a modern environment built specifically for the needs of young children and their teachers in the 21^st Century," Mr Russell says.

"We believe this is a win-win situation for the kindergarten, for New World and for the wider community. The opening up of land beside the supermarket provides us with the opportunity to better serve the community's needs."   

Rimutaka Kindergarten Association Manager Jane Braun welcomed the new kindergarten and the opportunity to leave the old building built in 1944 for one in which the association and the kindergarten's teaching team helped plan the interior design.

"New World has worked collaboratively with us to achieve a result we are all very pleased with. The design allows us to innovate with closing and opening up spaces to suit our programmes," she says.

"Now we are planning to celebrate the new and farewell the old at a big celebration, with the date to be advised."

The new kindergarten:

Land area: 3,117 sq m

Building area: 365 sq m

On-site parking: 27 spaces plus 5 for staff