Countdown’s newest supermarket and pharmacy opens in Newtown

Countdown’s newest supermarket and pharmacy opens in Newtown

3 December 2012: Countdown will unveil its new Newtown store on Wednesday, bringing their fresh approach to food and great value to central Wellington for the first time in nearly 20 years.

The 3400sqm supermarket is located at 176 Adelaide Road, Newtown, and will be officially opened at 8am on Wednesday, 5 December by Her Worship Celia Wade-Brown, Mayor of Wellington. The store will then be opened to the public at 9am.

The Newtown supermarket is the first in New Zealand to feature the new Countdown Pharmacy offering, with a pharmacy conveniently located within the supermarket. Customers will be able to purchase prescription and pharmacy-only products from a qualified pharmacist, and take advantage of convenient supermarket trading hours and competitive pricing.

Countdown Newtown Store Manager Cameron Black believed the supermarket would be a welcome addition to Wellington. “It’s the first Countdown supermarket to be built in central Wellington in 20 years, and it’s been highly anticipated by the community,” said Mr Black. “Newtown residents and workers can look forward to having a fantastic new supermarket featuring Countdown’s range of fresh food and great value, as well as a unique and convenient pharmacy – it will truly be a one-stop-shop.”

The store will employ 160 people and includes a large full-service bakery baking fresh goods daily, as well as an expansive produce section, butchery department, service deli and seafood department. It will also feature a walk-in beer chiller, a Lotto outlet and a large covered car park with more than 200 spaces. In addition to eight checkouts and four express checkouts, the store will also include six self-serve checkouts so customers can scan and pay for their shopping themselves.

Countdown Newtown incorporates many of the fantastic design elements of Countdown’s new generation stores, and has been carefully designed and constructed to reduce its impact on the environment. It features energy efficient CO2 refrigeration plant systems, night blinds on refrigerated cabinets, sliding covers on freezers, heat reclaim off the refrigeration coils and energy efficient lighting to help minimise the store’s carbon footprint.

From 10 December, the store will also offer online shopping. Mr Black adds, “We’ll have dedicated personal shoppers to pick the items customers have ordered, ensuring each delivery is full of the freshest products at the best value. Alternatively, customers can opt to order online and collect the items themselves from the customer service desk in-store using the new Click and Collect service.”

Mr Black, a Wellington local, born and bred in Newtown, said he had met with many members of the local community ahead of the opening. “We’ve had such a great response from locals, and we’ve worked really hard to get the store ready for opening day. Our team has had extensive training to ensure they’re more than ready for the Christmas rush, and we’re looking forward to opening our doors.”

At the store opening, Countdown will also present a donation to Wellington Hospital from this year’s Countdown Kids Hospital Appeal. Wellington Children’s Hospital is one of ten children’s hospitals and wards throughout New Zealand that benefit from funds raised annually by Countdown stores and support offices. All money raised goes towards purchasing much-needed medical equipment.

Countdown online, including Click and Collect, is available at www.countdown.co.nz. The store’s regular trading hours will be open Monday through to Sunday, 6am to midnight.

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