New supermarket owner-operators for the New World Stanmore in Canterbury are excited to return home.
Kerry and Sally-Anne Tull have recently taken over New World Stanmore, which will be the second supermarket New World they have operated. The pair revealed that they were excited to be returning home to Canterbury.
Kerry joined Foodstuffs South Island in 2010 as a qualified butcher at New World Rangiora and has built positive rapport within the enterprise since his arrival.
The couple revealed they were looking forward to building relationships with their new team and reconnecting with the community. The pairs owner-operator status was something Kerry hadn't at first considered when entering the industry.
"I started as a butcher, and now, I'm an owner-operator of a supermarket – this wasn't even on the radar for me back then," Kerry shared.
Progressing quickly, Kerry quickly became the butchery manager, followed by the manager of the fresh foods, which created career pathways and opportunities for Kerry to advance to his position as an owner-operator with his partner Sally-Anne.
During his time at New World Rangiora, Kerry was taken under the wing of owner-operator Robin Brown who mentored and supported him in growing his career.
"Robin opened the door to many opportunities and to what was available, and that's part of the beauty of being a part of the Foodstuffs South Island co-op."
Sally-Anne, who has a financial background, shared her partner's drive and optimism about the available opportunities within the cooperative, particularly with the right attitude.
"We love our interactions with our team members, customers, and other owner-operators. It's the best part of the job," said Sally-Anne.
She explained that the position was about people, growth and creating a good team culture.
Kerry and Sally-Anne have spent six and a half years as owner-operators, firstly at Four Square Cheviot in 2016. Following taking the reigns at Four Square Cheviot, the Kaikōura earthquake struck in November 2016.
"It was fairly quiet for about a year, but we had a plan and stuck to it, and it was all go when the road reopened," Kerry said.
However, Kerry shared that things appeared to return to normalcy in 2019, after which the pandemic began.
After four years at Four Square Cheviot, amid the pandemic and Covid restrictions, Kerry and Sally-Anne were given a chance to realise their long-term dream of owning and operating a New World. They became store owner-operators of New World Kaikōura in October 2020.
Looking back, Kerry and Sally-Anne are thankful for having the chance to work in two fantastic communities, taking the challenges they've faced in their stride, and working with some terrific people. The couple is excited to continue their New World journey at New World Stanmore two years later.
