NEW ZEALAND | Four Square has reached it's centennial milestone, and has celebrated 100 years in business.
Four Square has marked a milestone within the New Zealand grocery industry by celebrating 100 years in business.
The iconic brand first emerged in the 1920s and was established by Foodstuff’s founder, J Heaton Barker. The idea was said to be a result of Barker’s frustration with the activities of the grocery chain stores of that time and how difficult operating a business was for independent grocers in the Auckland area.
Barker called the Auckland Master Grocers’ Association to action in mid-1922 to discuss plans for a co-operative buying group of independent grocers. By 1924, the buying group had registered as Foodstuffs, the first of three regional co-operatives located in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch.
But it was on July 4, 1924, that Barker first coined the name ‘Four Square’ while drawing a square around the number four on his calendar. It has been recalled that Barker thought the name would ‘stand Four Square to all the winds that blew’.
By the end of 1924, products had appeared on Four Square shelves under the same name, and in a few short years, the Four Square name had become a common sight throughout the country.
New Zealand’s first self-service Four Square store was opened in Onehunga in 1948, the first of its kind in the country’s history. The store was opened by Baker’s son, Phil Baker, and Ray McGregor.
The infamous Mr Four Square character was first introduced in the 1950s, designed by the Foodstuffs advertising department. Initially featured in newspaper advertising, the character has become widely known as a symbol for the local grocery sector. Over the years, Mr Four Square has undergone several transformations. The most recent has forgone the pencil tucked behind his ear and old-fashioned hair parting.
Read More about 100 years of Four Square in Supermarket News.
