Foodstuffs South Island has announced the opening of a new PAK’nSAVE store at Papanui, marking a significant milestone. This is the first PAK’nSAVE store opened in Canterbury since PAK’nSAVE Rangiora opened in September 2015.
Spanning 6,260 square metres, PAK'nSAVE Papanui is conveniently located on the corner of Northcote Road and Main North Road in town.
The co-op has invested $40 million to bring this supermarket to the community while offering customers a spacious and contemporary shopping experience. The new store will also provide 100 additional roles alongside the 210 positions filled by team members brought over from their former store, PAK’nSAVE Northlands.
“PAK'nSAVE Papanui offers a great shopping experience and shows our commitment to sustainability and the growing community of Papanui,” said Foodstuffs South Island Chief Executive Mary Devine.
The store's design incorporates the latest sustainability innovations and features ample space for customers and efficient behind-the-scenes operations, all designed to keep costs down.
“There’s lots of natural light coming into the store, enhancing the fresh food offerings in produce, seafood, and butchery. There are also 22 self-service checkouts and 90 SHOP’nGO scanners to save customers time and money as they can scan and pack their groceries as they shop.”
Other design and sustainability innovations include solar panels , EV charging stations, cycle parking and a dedicated Click and Collect space.
The store is also equipped to trade continuously for three days in an emergency or natural disaster. It includes water storage and an on-site generator to ensure customers get all the essentials.
Owner-operators Bryan Walker and Lucy Boock focus also contacted food rescue partner Kairos Food Rescue to allow them to repurpose anything they need from the Northlands store, such as the reach truck, shelving, lockers and safety tools.
Surplus produce will be redistributed to the local food rescue organisation Satisfy Food Rescue, and team members will wear the uniforms from their previous store at the new store.
“Everything from PAK’nSAVE Northlands will be repurposed and redistributed, and we’re really happy to realise our vision and have those strong relationships with our community partners, which have enabled us to do this,” said Boock, a third-generation grocer who began her journey with the co-op while still at school, packing groceries at her parents’ store, New World Gardens, in Dunedin.
Walker also brings his expertise and has been in the industry for 26 years. He left school at 16 to work at New World Mosgiel as a grocery assistant and worked his way up to various roles across stores.
“We’re excited and proud to continue offering low prices at PAK’nSAVE to Papanui. Having been a part of the local community for almost a decade, we appreciate the support we’ve received from everyone along the way and look forward to welcoming locals and visitors into the store,” said Walker.
PAK’nSAVE Papanui will also support local and South Island suppliers by stocking local produce from potato and onion growers in Canterbury, carrot growers in Canterbury and Invercargill, parsnip growers in Southland, and apple and pear growers from Nelson.
