Keeping the Capital fed and watered – New World pulls out all the stops

• All Foodstuffs North Island stores operating as per usual (New World, PAK’nSAVE, Four Square) and our distribution centres

• Well-ranged, no stock issues and trading well

• Huge collaborative effort across the Co-Operative

November 18, 2016 – It wasn’t only the colossal earthquakes wreaking havoc in Wellington, the weather didn’t play ball either. New World stores in central Wellington were briefly affected by the turmoil – but, without exception, they were back up and running by Monday afternoon.

“It’s certainly been a week where we moved rapidly from earthquake crisis management to flood crisis management, but New Zealanders have a DNA that shows up very well in a crisis,” says Chris Quin, Managing Director, Foodstuffs North Island (FSNI). “The team were awesome when it comes to our willingness to help each other, collaboration and accountability.”

In a letter to the FSNI team today, Quin remarks how across 24 hours he saw the team go from three large stores not operating, supply chain disruption and the regional support office at Silverstream closed, to having all stores being open, distribution sorted and serving understandably rattled customers with the things they needed to look after their families. Most importantly, the team was safe and doing their part to support their neighbourhoods.

“Testament to the way we’ve come through these events is the fact that our owner-operators are really close to their communities and their teams and they know what they need from the get-go. On practical level we also have well-designed, built and maintained stores and systems and simply awesome people,” says Quin. “They turn up and are incredibly willing – they collaborate and just try and help each other and their customers.”

One standout example of the team going the extra mile comes from Taranaki, hit hard by winds and rain taking down trees and power lines. “Karl and Tina Turner owner-operators of Four Square Kaponga pitched in by providing food and coffee for all the firemen and linesmen working to put everything back into order. They finished up around midnight and were back at it again at 4.30am in the morning, providing pies for the crew who had been working all night. That’s the Kiwi way.”

Wellington’s inner-city New World stores, where the impact of the quakes was felt the hardest, were back up and running on Monday, despite constant aftershocks and wild weather, thanks to the commitment from the teams in store and the support of other stores and suppliers from around Wellington and the rest of the North Island. “Fresh milk, bottled water and chilled products are plentiful, and our shelves are full of grocery items – it’s business as usual,” says Quin.

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