For Will Thomson, owning a Four Square had been a long-held goal.
Starting as a part-time bakery assistant at PAK'nSAVE Northlands in Christchurch in 2011, he worked his way through multiple departments, taking on management and leadership roles before moving to Four Square Bluff as part of his pathway towards store ownership with the Foodstuffs South Island co-op.
He has now moved to Owaka with his family and joined the hundreds of owner-operators across New Zealand who have built and invested in their own local grocery businesses through the co-operative model.
Moving to a rural town with a young family could be daunting, but as the new Four Square Owaka owner, Thomson has been welcomed by the Catlins community.
Having spent several weeks in town ahead of taking ownership, he said the welcome from locals exceeded all expectations, and the community spirit was on full display when members of the local Lions Club helped the family move into their new home.
"The support has been incredible, we’ve been welcomed with open arms by the community, and that means a lot from someone coming in as an outsider,” said Thomson.
As both a business owner and a local, Thomson said backing the community went hand in hand with serving customers, and owning a Four Square has brought together everything he enjoys about grocery retailing, from working with customers and supporting a team to being involved in the community.
Thomson was also grateful for the support he received from both the store team and the wider community as he stepped into ownership.
Customers can expect the same friendly service from the local store they know and trust. As a locally owned and operated business, Four Square Owaka will continue to support its local customers, suppliers, community organisations and the wider Caitlins region.
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