A long spell at the supermarket

When people hear that Brian McKinlay is retiring after 49 years in the supermarket industry, most ask him ‘‘why don’t you wait until you’ve done 50’’.

‘‘What for, only to get another certificate probably,’’ is his response.

It was December 5, 1968 when McKinlay started at Stratford 4Square and he will retire from Stratford New World on February 17, a day after his 65th birthday.

In that time he had also worked at Stratford Shoprite, Hawera New World and Inglewood Shoprite.

He started out as a grocery assistant and moved his way up to night manager and store manager at various places before he went back to stocking shelves for the last few years, as he wanted something a bit easier to do.

It was the friendships he made with the customers and the camaraderie he had with the other staff that had kept him in the industry for so long.

At one point, McKinlay was known as ‘‘Mr New World’’ around Stratford.

McKinlay started off as a grocery assistant but it didn’t take long before he moved up to helping manage the 4Square, which was originally at 299 Broadway, beside where Farmlands sits today.

He even has a copy of a docket for a home delivery he made during his time there.

‘‘Back in the 1968 era, houses weren’t locked, cars weren’t locked, so we delivered the groceries into the houses,’’ he said.

‘‘I put the frozens in the freezer, anything else they wanted put away, put the milk in the fridge...and usually they would have a cheque waiting for me hidden away on the table.

‘‘You couldn’t do these things now days.’’

Painting his house was the first thing on his list after he retired and he was was also planning on going to Europe with a friend.

‘‘I’ve got lots of friends and exStratford New World staff that are all around the country side, they’re in Paihia and Napier and Hamilton, that I’ll go and visit.’’