Keeping it local key to store’s success
‘‘John always welcomes customers and for me that is a priority when shopping at your local store.’’
Mike Te Whata customer
Taranaki supermarket owners John and Rachel Roberts are coy when it comes to divulging which product sells best.
‘‘I can’t give you that information or else it will help our competitors,’’ John said.
What he can reveal is that customers like to buy fresh food that has either been grown or produced locally.
It’s a formula which has worked well for the couple, who have owned the Oakura Beach Four Square for the past five years.
As a result the store has a regular flow of customers, from local residents and passing travellers, through the day and night.
They call their business a ‘‘small compact supermarket’’.
‘‘It’s not a dairy, or a superette, it’s a Four Square store,’’ he said.
The store serves a local community of around 1600 residents, which can swell to two to three times that size during a busy summer.
The nearest supermarket is a 15-minute drive away, but the couple don’t see the larger business model as competition.
‘‘We’re not in competition with the supermarkets, we’re
playing our own game to service the community,’’ Rachel Roberts said.
Parent company Foodstuffs enables the couple to stock a wide range of products, as much as the larger supermarkets.
Excluding alcohol, delicatessen and frozen produce, the store has 2500 stock-keeping
units, or sku, with 66 bays of groceries stacked on the shelves.
‘‘We have access to Foodstuffs’ Palmerston North distribution centre for anything we want to stock,’’ she said.
As much product as possible is sourced from local growers – ranging from fresh meat and vegetables to craft beer.
‘‘We like to support locals because it helped our customers and suppliers.
‘‘Speciality items are not big sellers. Our customers look for local product instead.’’
With customers to serve, orders to make and paperwork to complete the couple, who employ 20 staff, rarely have a spare moment with the store open seven days a week from 7am-8pm.
The first staff arrive at 4am to bake bread, others arrive later to prepare hot chicken and chips takeaways, while others make espresso coffees to order, scoop ice creams, or serve at the checkout counter.
Regular customer Mike Te Whatais attracted by the convenience.
He doesn’t have to go to New Plymouth for what he needs.
‘‘There’s always something – bread, milk, something for the barbecue, and the pies are the best around.’’
Te Whata also liked the personal friendly service. ‘‘John always welcomes customers and for me that is a priority when shopping at your local store.’’