Herne Bay locals now have a fresh, new grocery shopping destination on their doorstep, with the opening of Countdown’s fourth Metro store on the corner of Kelmarna Ave and Jervois Road.
The 1,600m2 store has been designed to suit the needs of the local community and has also created 65 new jobs, with around half the team living within walking, cycling or scootering distance of their new workplace.
Countdown’s Director of Property, Matt Grainger, says the store’s city-fringe location and proximity to key public transport routes made it the ideal location for a Metro store.
“Herne Bay has had noticeably strong growth over the last couple of years, with an increasing number of new apartment buildings and commercial developments going up in the area. We’ve also seen a shift in how our local customers are shopping, with many in city-fringe communities making smaller, more frequent shops and looking for convenient, quick to prepare meal options.”
“These changes to the area and customer shopping habits have been a key influence on the design and range we have on offer at Metro Herne Bay. We’ve put together a highly curated offering with easy and delicious options top-of-mind in our planning,” says Matt Grainger.
While Metro Herne Bay still has plenty of pantry staples available for top up shops and simple midweek dinners, there is a focus on quick eating options including a premium range of products like barista-made coffee, ready-to-go meals, fresh-made sandwiches, salads, health-focussed snack options, take-home dinners and fresh pizzas made in store.
The store also has a number of sustainability features including electronic shelf labels to reduce paper use, bike racks for customers and team, a transcritical refrigeration system, and doors on fridges to reduce energy use. To help reduce food waste, Metro Herne Bay is also partnering with The Salvation Army and Fair Food to divert food that can’t be sold but is still good enough to eat, to Kiwis in need.
Councillor for Waitematā and Gulf ward, Pippa Coom, says the store will be a great addition to the local area.
“I’m impressed with the local and sustainability focus of Metro Herne Bay and to see the successful local recruitment and encouragement to team and customers to use active transport. It is also great to hear about the partnership with the Salvation Army and Fair Food.”
Metro Herne Bay is located at 1 Kelmarna Avenue, Herne Bay, Auckland and will be open from 7am – 10pm, 7 days a week.
