New World Greymouth's renovation is complete, bringing locals a state-of-the-art shopping experience and a store chock-full of sustainable features.
Victoria Boyes, a third-generation grocer and the store's owner-operator for the past 25 years, said the road to refurbishment has been challenging and immensely rewarding.
"The timing of the store transformation has been held off a few times as the local community were going through some tough challenges over the last few years," said Boyes.
Boyes continued that the New World Greymouth store and team needed to remain constant and support the Greymouth community the best way they could.
The New World Greymouth team have patiently waited for the right time to move forward with the upgrade plans. The comprehensive renovation encompasses a range of improvements.
The new foyer is a particular highlight and now leads directly to the fresh produce section, creating an inviting ambience as customers enter the store. The introduction of new windows sees natural light flood into the store.
Victoria Boyes
The refrigeration units and checkout counters have been replaced and revamped, and the new fridges have renewable CO2 technology to ensure the store's carbon footprint is significantly reduced.
In addition to the in-store changes, the car park has been extended to provide ample parking spaces for customers and help prevent congestion.
Boyes was also looking at ways to be more efficient in product ordering and recycling protocols to minimise waste further.
"The refurbishment is visually stunning, but the little touches you don't see are equally significant."
Boyes said the store knew sustainability was essential to its customers, not just in their chosen products but in their decisions and how and where they shop.
"Across the co-op, many small changes like these add up to make a huge impact as the business moves to meet its carbon reduction targets as part of our commitment to being here for New Zealand."
With the completion of these renovations, New World Greymouth also has a much-anticipated online shopping service, a move that has the Greymouth community buzzing with excitement.
The store is the final South Island New World to introduce this feature and aligns New World Greymouth with the rest of the Foodstuffs South Island co-operative in offering both an in-store and online shopping experience.
According to Boyes, New World Greymouth, customers and team members have been incredibly understanding and amazing throughout the upgrades over the past year and a half.
"The people we serve, our customers and our community, are the most rewarding aspects of my role as an owner-operator. My father originally purchased New World Greymouth because of his deep love of the West Coast and a desire to help give back to the community, and I'm so proud to be carrying on his legacy."
