Countdown Stratford has opened its doors – the first of two new supermarkets for the Taranaki region. The new $14 million Countdown Stratford store, located on Broadway in Stratford, was officially opened by Stratford District Mayor, Neil Volzke. The opening was also attended by representatives from the Salvation Army, who were presented with a trolley of food for the local food bank.
Countdown Stratford Store Manager, Shaun Wall says, “We’re really excited about being open and serving our local customers. We’re committed to providing them with great fresh food, a modern shopping experience and value for money.
“In the lead up to opening, I’ve been meeting with schools in the local community and getting to know our neighbours, and they have all commented how excited they are about us being up and running.
“We’ve got lots of exciting opening specials and activities this week and are looking forward to showing everyone the new store.”
Countdown’s Managing Director Steve Donohue says the new store illustrates Countdown’s commitment to investing in the area. “This new store has seen 75 new jobs created in Stratford. These jobs, in addition to those created by the new Countdown Vogeltown, which is opening later this week, will mean Countdown now employs over 700 people in the Taranaki region alone.”
“We’re really proud to provide not only jobs, but also really great careers in retail through this continued investment,” Donohue says.
Stratford District Mayor, Neil Volzke says “Countdown Stratford’s new store will have a huge impact and its location will encourage many people driving past to stop and shop here.”
“In addition, the creation of over 70 new jobs is hugely significant to this community. This will send a positive signal to other businesses that Stratford is a good place to invest. It was a privilege to be given the opportunity to open this fantastic, state of the art supermarket for Countdown,” Mayor Volzke says.
The new generation 2,800sqm store has been designed with Countdown’s latest design features and includes wider aisles, a more expansive fresh produce department and energy efficient fittings and equipment.
It will also offer the popular online shopping service where customers can order their groceries online and have them delivered, as well as a range of apparel and kitchenware merchandise, a full-service seafood department and a bulk foods section.
