A Write Price store in Wairoa will close for good on July 3rd after 29 years of business, Foodstuffs North Island has announced. The store's owner-operator Trevor Wong is planning to retire and, after an extensive review of its offer in the area, Foodstuffs has decided not to sell to another owner and evaluate redevelopment options instead. Details of the new store are yet to be revealed, but one thing is certain: it will be a New World.
"Yes, we are currently planning to build a New World store on the site of the Write Price store and, in time, this will replace the existing New World store. The details regarding the old New World store will be confirmed later, once plans are finalised," Doug Cochrane, general manager retail, Foodstuffs North Island, told SupermarketNews.
"We are committed to the Wairoa community and continued investment in the town. We continue to work on our development plans and we will communicate more as soon as we have firm timelines."
Cochrane said the decision to close the Write Price store had been a difficult one, but the company believed it was the right way to ‘continue to provide the Wairoa community with the best possible supermarket offer for the long-term.’
“We currently have one Write Price and one New World supermarket in Wairoa,” Cochrane said. “It has become increasingly difficult to sustain two supermarkets in the district. We feel our New World store is best placed to meet the community’s everyday shopping requirements.”
As for Trevor Wong, he has spent 35 years working in retail and started his career with Foodstuffs in 1987 as the owner-operator of Write Price Wairoa. Over the past 29 years, he has supported the local community by sponsoring a number of schools, clubs and community events, and will now have more time to dedicate to his four grandchildren.
Cochrane has thanked Wong and his team for their great job. “This decision is absolutely no reflection on them. We are supporting staff at Write Price Wairoa through this challenging time,” he said, adding that Foodstuffs will improve its offering in the community by replacing the existing Write Price store with a brand-new outlet.
