Sandy Cheng and her husband Jerome manage Kumeu Produce Market, located at 407 State Highway 16. Before moving to New Zealand, the couple lived in Taiwan, where Sandy worked in Finance and Jerome in business. Shortly after getting married, they picked up everything they had and immigrated.
Upon arrival in New Zealand, the couple studied at a polytechnic and started working at their local greengrocer on Hobsonville Road. After the birth of their two sons, an opportunity to own and operate the Lincoln Fresh greengrocer presented itself, and the couple became owner-operators for the first time. Cheng noted that owning their first business was challenging, but she felt lucky to supply to her community. The couple opened their second store, Kumeu Produce Market, in search of a new challenge 12 years ago. They have since passed on Lincoln Fresh, so their sole efforts can go into the Kumeu store.
“What drew us into being greengrocers was that we found it important and necessary that people could get quality and nutritious produce at reasonable prices. We have maintained our passion by supporting the local and wider Auckland community with quality produce; we also like to support local growers and farmers. From locally grown tomatoes, strawberries and other organic products, we also deliver to several businesses, cafes, and restaurants daily,” said Cheng.
For Cheng’s husband, Jerome, the typical day starts at 3am. He can be found at the markets sourcing fresh produce for the store, and she credits this dedication to their ability to maintain quality and rage - “As they say, the early bird gets the worm.”
The store has a strong team of ten. Cheng and some of her staff will set up the shopfront between 6am and 7am, restocking, helping early customers and picking produce for the local business delivery run. Throughout the day, operations run smoothly and involve bagging fruit and washing and trimming vegetables. Part-time staff take over in the afternoon while Cheng and her husband prepare for evening deliveries.
As a small family business, Cheng values communication. There is so much going on in the store that asking each other for help makes things more enjoyable and helps the team better serve customers.
“I recall a time when we still owned both businesses. A customer came to Lincoln Fresh and mentioned they liked our Gold Kumara and asked to purchase a box. They said they usually go to a store in Kumeu for their Gold Kumara, but they had just sold out for the day. When the customer found out that we managed both stores, they were not surprised and noticed the similar qualities our stores displayed.”
She is also incredibly proud of her store's history of supporting local, small and growing businesses, knowing firsthand how hard it can be to establish a brand in a competitive market. Just the other day, two small business owners mentioned to Cheng that Kumeu Produce Market was the first store they had been stocked in, and she was incredibly proud to give them the opportunity.
Besides seasonal fruit and vegetables, locally sourced foods and organics are the bestsellers in the store. In the summertime, strawberries and stone fruit varieties are popular, and Cheng takes pride in the store's offering of local free-range eggs. The specials are displayed on traditional black signage boards, and information occasionally goes into local print media. The staff are very diligent with social media, posting on the store’s Facebook page and local community groups.
“We haven’t been able to expand our digital marketing and online presence. It has certainly been a challenge. I imagine it is the same with many other small businesses that have operated for many years and may not have the resources or expertise to pivot to an online business to do home deliveries like supermarkets.”
Despite this, Kumeu Produce Market has flourished thanks to the support of the local community and Sandy and Jerome’s commitment to sustainable and quality organic produce.
