A small community of 11,000 in a suburb north of Hastings is set to lose its only local supermarket.
Flaxmere New World announced that its doors would permanently close on Sunday, February 25th, as it was decided that its lease, which was up for renewal in March, would not be renewed.
A leading reason behind the decision was that even if the store were given refurbishments, the building would not be able to be brought to a standard of quality which it would like for both local community customers and staff.
However, the supermarket is supporting its staff in finding alternative positions in other Foodstuffs brand stores, including PAK ‘n SAVE, Four Square, and New World.
The decision has proved controversial, with the local community sharing concerns over the loss of accessibility to needed amenities for young families and elderly in the area. This has sparked a petition to keep this store open for local residents, which has now garnered over 3000 signatures.
The owner of Foodstuffs Flaxmere New World said that this decision was not taken lightly and that the company hasn’t changed its stance on its strong commitment to its community, which it has cultivated over the years.
The land has been zoned for commercial use by the council, where there have been discussions for years with well-established supermarket chains to try and attract them to the area and to discuss and identify a future wherein Flaxmere has a new supermarket.
