New Zealand is recovering from the massive earthquake that struck the country ten days ago. And it's doing it with Kiwi spirit.
Like many other businesses in the South Island and lower part of the North Island, supermarkets suffered some damage as well. New World Kaikoura was among the most severely affected. Despite challenging conditions, staff have done everything they could to get the store back on its feet, and the supermarket reopened in just a few days.
“The team are like family to us, and when things calm down, we’ll definitely be having a BBQ and a few beers to say thank you,” said owners Glen Steele and Melissa Sprott.
Over the first week, Foodstuffs has sent extra staff and supplies to Kaikoura, including water, disinfectant, nappies, canned goods and pantry-stable fresh food. Since the emergency started, the company has ensured there were no shortages of bottled water within its network, by sending 20 additional truckloads to its Palmerston North distribution centre.
After the damage assessment had been performed, Progressive teamed up with the Red Cross to launch an Earthquake Appeal into all Countdown, SuperValue and FreshChoice stores. "Our teams and customers are from the regions affected, and we want to help our communities get the support they need so that they can start to tidy-up and try to get back on their feet as soon as possible,” said managing director Dave Chambers.
It’s the Kiwi way, many would tell. “As always, we need to unite as we try to operate our businesses,” said FGC chairwoman Veronique Cremades in a statement, urging New Zealanders not to give up in the face of adversity. “FGC has been in contact with retailers and they have worked and will continue to work hard to deal with many issues in order to ensure supply.”
A number of companies have lent a helping hand. Kono NZ's subsidiary Annies, for example, has donated a pallet of 1,512 boxes of Annies Apples Rings to the people of North Canterbury. Their Blenheim-based factory was affected by the quakes and had to remain closed for two days. “Now that we're up and running again, we're delighted to be able to help the people of Canterbury, and our thoughts are with them at this unsettling time,” said Mel Chambers, GM Foods, Kono NZ.
