Supermarket breaks usual mould

Wigram Skies is the latest in a series of Christchurch supermarket openings by Foodstuffs with a New World ready for shoppers on Wednesday, September 30.

Supermarket owner James Backhouse says the Wigram subdivision is an unusual setting for a New World, within a new greenfields subdivision located within the suburbs of Christchurch.

‘‘This one is in town and the town is growing in towards us.’’

He and his wife Karen have committed between $7 million and $8m of the $20m property and New World development.

Other standalone retail developments are taking place within The Landing commercial area under iwi Ngai Tahu as landlord.

The land and building is owned freehold by Foodstuffs at Wigram Skies subdivision, the site of a former air base. The supermarket’s opening will be 20 years to the month after the air base’s formal closure parade in 1995.

The couple made their start in the Foodstuffs business with a Four Square in Wanaka, followed by New World Northside in Oamaru, which they left last year.

Previously Backhouse had worked for supermarket suppliers like brewer Lion Nathan, Goodman Fielder and Nestle.

The Foodstuffs South Island cooperative, which also owns the Pak ’n Save and Four Square brands, had worked closely with Ngai Tahu architects and designers on the concept for the supermarket, he said.

Many new supermarkets tended to be on the outskirts of an urban area, Backhouse said.

But Wigram Skies was within the bounds of an existing city. Foodstuffs studied population trends within an area as part of making a decision on supermarket location.

Karen Backhouse, a chartered accountant, said getting to know the communities of Wanaka, Oamaru and now Christchurch was an important part of being a business owner.

She grew up in Darfield, helping them settle into Canterbury with two children.

‘‘[When I started] I didn’t really understand the indepth need to know the customer, the community you’re within and engage with them.

‘‘When I talk to people about the community there’s two meeting points, its the schools and supermarkets."

From his office Backhouse looks out on the supermarket carpark, and expects it to be busy in the first few weeks.

‘‘We’re expecting a real rush followed by a settling down period, then a period of growth. We’ve got two or three years’ growth, getting built just on our back door.’’

The store employs about 100 with eight senior managers, and a wider management team of 20.

Wigram still had a substantial amount of residential building to complete the infill programme.

Supermarkets like The Landing tended to attract their mainstay shoppers from a three to five kilometre radius, Backhouse said.