New World has opened its first supermarket in lockdown in the growing suburb of Ravenswood, in the Waimakariri District of North Canterbury. The brand-new store, which opened this morning at 9am on Friday, 27 August, was quite a different kind of opening to the usual, says Ross Martin, Head of Retail Operations at Foodstuffs South Island.
“There was no ribbon cutting, or crowds of shoppers gathered around, but it was still a momentous occasion for all. The team have been working hard to get the store built and open for this awesome new community and we really didn’t want lockdown to stand in the way of that.”
Foodstuffs and owner operators of the store, Justin and Melissa Blackler, shouldn’t have been concerned, working closely with the Ministry of Business Innovation and Enterprise at Alert Level Four, and everyone is really proud to be able to open on time and on schedule. What’s most important is that the local community of Ravenswood have a safe store to shop in where they can get all their essentials and more while they’re in lockdown and beyond.
All New World stores are 100% locally owned and operated, with store owners and their teams having the flexibility to cater to the specific needs of their community. Justin and Melissa Blackler have moved minutes up to road from their previous store, Raeward Fresh Harewood.
“We’re looking forward to getting behind this awesome new community and are excited to share with them what’s on offer in-store. We have employed approximately 100 locals including in-store butchers, bakers and deli experts, and we’re all looking forward to providing fresh food, great value and excellent customer service,” says Justin.
New World Ravenswood will provide a full-scale offering to the Ravenswood community and was built in just over 12 months. Store features include an in-store café, a spacious fresh foods hall, an extensive craft beer and local wine selection, a zero-alcohol zone and an Eco Store refillery station.
The new store will also cater to the wider North Canterbury Community and has the ability to grow as families move into the residential developments in surrounding areas.
New World Ravenwood is located at 10 Bob Robertson Drive, Woodend 7691 and will be open seven days a week from 7am-9pm.
