Closure a shock to locals
A Flaxmere business will “do its best” to help those struggling to cope with the closure of the suburb’s only supermarket, saying it will aim to meet customer needs by expanding its store and range depending on community needs.
Like the rest of the community, business owners Bob and Sunny Singh of the Swansea Island Food Mart said they were “in shock” when they heard about the pending closure of the New World on February 25.
They had been called to action before, proving to be a lifeline when Flaxmere was without power during Cyclone Gabrielle.
They said this would be similar in many ways but just on a bigger scale, expanding their store into a “minisupermarket” style space and meeting customer requests as they arise.
“It will just be a way to help the people,” Bob said.
“We will try to get a bit of everything in, most of the things you see in a small grocery store we will have.”
Sunny said the space would have added shelving and more utilisation of the outdoor area. It would likely include space for frozen goods, produce and other key amenities.
He said locals were “surprised and happy” when they heard about the changes, particularly those who used mobility scooters and walkers.
“It’s less stress on them. It helps to have something local instead of having to go all the way into town.”
Both Bob and Sunny understood their change wouldn’t be a permanent solution and agreed that a larger supermarket was still very much needed for the community.
It’s uncertain how long Flaxmere, a suburb of over 10,000 people, will be without a full-size supermarket.
Woolworths says it is not moving into the New World site.
Flaxmere Four Square owner Becky Gee said she was anticipating a lot of New World customers would turn to their outlet for groceries.
“If they are going to close, we may have to increase our staff, and stock to accommodate and take on those customers,” she previously told Hawke’s Bay Today.
Other solutions aired at a public meeting which was held on Saturday included having a regular shuttle service to town to take advantage of the food rescue non-profit Nourished for Nil and using the click-and-collect service other supermarkets provide.
A peaceful hikoi took place on Wednesday night attended by about 150 people of all ages, with the same message, “Save our supermarket”.
One protester said the supermarket was a lot more than a place to get food, rather it provided an income for those who worked there and offered shoppers a personal experience.