Two of Foodstuffs' three stores that were severely flooded in Auckland remain closed. New World Newmarket re-opened its doors at 7am this morning while PAK’nSAVE Wairau Road and New World Fresh Collective on Wairau Road remain shut.
New World Newmarket has only been open for four months. Local Owner Operator Matt Hayward said the flooding happened incredibly fast, and the team worked incredibly hard over the weekend to get things back up and running as quickly as possible.
“I’d popped out to fetch something from a local hardware store and I got a call from one of the team to say water was rushing in, I got back as quickly as I could and the store was already underwater. The team had done a great job of making sure everyone was safe, evacuating the store and turning the electrics off. All we could do then was sit outside in the covered car park and watch it all happen, there was absolutely nothing we could do.”
“Our top priority has been safety, safety of our customers, our people and the safety of the food that we sell. I was determined to get the store up and running again as soon as possible and I’ve been blown away by how everyone rallied round to get us open again. The store and the Foodstuffs team, professional clean up contractors, my mates, my sister and even my mum have all been in to lend a hand.”
Damaged stock from the store that could be rescued was donated to The Breakfast Club - one of the store's community partners.
“As well as everyone who has helped get us up and running again in such a short amount of time, I’d like to say a huge thank you to all our customers who’ve sent messages of support on our Facebook - and to let them know we’re here and open to serve our community again. And if you live and shop locally and you haven’t been in yet, come and give us a try, we’d love to see you.”
PAK’nSAVE Wairau Road is one of the cooperative's largest stores in the country, so the clean-up and re-opening is a huge exercise. Owner Operator Quintin Proctor is working around the clock to get the store ready. No opening date can yet be provided.
“Aucklanders are keeping calm and shopping local. Four Square stores across Tāmaki Makaurau have seen an increase in customers as they’re staying closer to home and thankfully, no evidence of panic buying. We’d like to thank our customers for only buying what they need, so everyone gets their fair share when they shop,” said Chris Quin, Chief Executive of Foodstuffs North Island.
“Our supply chain remains in good shape, and we have plenty of stock in reserve thanks to the dedication and mahi of our distribution centre teams, many of whom live in flood affected areas. We’ve largely caught up on the delays with transportation and whilst we can’t reach Four Square Coromandel due to the closure of State Highway 25, we’re exploring other options to replenish the store.
“It’s still too soon to tell what impact the rain will have on our locally grown produce partners. Our buying teams remain in close contact with our suppliers and growers so we can anticipate any potential issues with supply and work with them on their recovery plans.”
