Doors open for first Countdown in Amberley

Doors open for first Countdown in Amberley

Team of 87 ready to serve locals

14 May 2014: Countdown has opened its first supermarket in the North Canterbury town of Amberley today, creating 87 jobs in the local community.

Mayor of Hurunui, Winton Dalley, officially marked the opening of the town’s first full-service supermarket this morning, together with community groups, family, friends and Countdown team members.

Store Manager Sarah Ruddick, an Amberley local, says “We are really excited to be open for business here in Amberley as the anchor tenant in the Brackenfields Shopping Centre. We’re committed to providing great value for money, quality fresh food, and a modern shopping experience for our locals,” says Sarah.

Sarah says she is proud to be leading a team of 87 people, 68 of whom are brand new to the Countdown business andmore than three quarters local to Amberley.

“We’ve all been working hard to get the store ready for opening day, and we can’t wait to meet our new customers and show them the great offer we’ve got here in Amberley,” she says.

Countdown is one of the largest employers in New Zealand, with more than 18,000 team members throughout New Zealand. In preparation for the Amberley opening, together with traditional recruitment channels, Countdown worked closely with Work and Income Rangiora to shortlist and interview a pool of potential candidates. This partnership has seen seven local people employed and trained by Countdown, ready to start at the Amberley store.

Countdown’s Managing Director, Dave Chambers, says the store will give rural communities as far north as Kaikoura and Hanmer Springs the convenience of a supermarket much closer to their doorstep.

“We’re really proud to be part of this investment and the Brackenfields development signals a positive transformation for the town which will help both to foster economic development in Amberley, and support local job creation,” says Dave.

The store has been designed with Countdown’s latest new-generation format and features wider aisles, an expansive fresh produce department and energy efficient fittings and equipment. The new store also features a full-service bakery baking fresh good daily; service deli and seafood department and more than 380 car parks as part of the development. It has 13 checkouts, including six assisted checkouts, three express checkouts, and four self-serve checkouts.

To help celebrate the opening, Countdown Amberley has a range of activities and local specials to welcome in the community. This will include face painting, sampling, demonstrations, and giveaways right through to the weekend.

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