Bradley Patton, the new owner and operator of New World Wigram, has brought his passion for innovation and nutrition to Christchurch.
Patton and his wife Rebecca moved to Wigram from New World Elles Road in Invercargill, a store his family owned and operated for thirty-eight years. After spearheading several community-focused projects, including a complete store refurbishment, he was ready for his next challenge.
“I’ve loved my time at New World Elles Road, and I’ve built a real connection with the community at Invercargill, but I’ve always been about challenging myself from a personal development point of view,” said Patton.
“It’s a good time for my three young children as well. It will be good to make this change now and settle in before they get older.
He added that he was looking forward to Christchurch's challenges and opportunities.
“We know it's a city with a strong sense of community, and we're eager to get involved."
As a Healthy Families Invercargill Leadership Group member for the last eight years, Patton has successfully implemented initiatives such as expanding his store’s fresh produce options and creating a smoke-free car park. He felt he was in a position to encourage and facilitate as many nutritious options in the store as he could.
“That’s something I’m keen to continue doing at the new store. I’m planning on hearing from the community about what they’re looking for from the store.
Patton has a wealth of experience as a second-generation grocer. His parents owned New World Elles Road for 30 years, and he owned and operated it for eight. He started his career in FMCG as a supplier but jumped to retail and store ownership when his parents began considering retirement.
“Retail is a place full of energy and people. You have your own team that you can develop, and that amazing connection with the community that you're serving.”
In 2016, Patton also led an extensive multi-year renovation at New World Elles Road, bringing the store into the modern era and custom-building it for his community's needs.
While he does not rule out future upgrades for New World Wigram, he feels the store in its current state is beautiful, modern, and well-run and does not want to get started on anything huge in the first few months.
He wants to understand the team and what's working and not working first.
“Grand designs and big dreams will come later once we've got our foot in the door.”
He admitted he was a hands-on owner; customers could expect to see him around often as his parents taught him this way.
“I expect to be in Christchurch for a really long time. My family and I are excited about our future and the city’s future.”
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