New World Ilam prepares for November opening

21 September, 2011

New World Ilam prepares for November opening

More than a thousand hopefuls have applied for the 170 positions available at Christchurch’s $19 million New World Ilam supermarket which is due to open its doors on November 17.

The high level of interest came as no surprise to owner/operator Phillip Blackburn who was expecting it.

“With several supermarkets closed in Christchurch because of earthquake damage, we knew there would be many staff looking for jobs. The chance to be employed in this brand new setting, and get back into the workforce will certainly be a strong draw card for many."

The recruitment of senior staff began in August and the HR placements will continue until mid-October as Phillip and his team conduct interviews and make appointments. The jobs are a mix of part time and full time positions.

Situated on the former Feltex factory site between Peer St and Athol Tce, and designed to integrate with the proposed Vision Senior Living retirement village nearby, the New World Ilam supermarket will have a floor area of 3992 sq metres.

“The store itself will incorporate the very latest design and innovations in layout, cabinetry and display. I’m sure customers are going to be very impressed with the appearance. We will be following a traditional layout overall, but some plant and equipment will be different from the standard.

“It will have a very strong fresh food focus and an expanded product range. Our butchery and specialty meat area, seafood section and service deli will all be offering the best products available. And there will be a number of interesting extras such as the fact that customers will be able to order espresso coffee from our own barista as they enter the store.”

There will also be European-style bread baked on the premises right in front of the customers’ eyes.
A specialty oven from France is being installed and the seven store bakers will be experimenting with its capabilities in order to deliver the latest bakery trends to customers.

“This is one of the exciting introductions in the new store and we really want to get it up and running and see exactly what we can do.”

New World Ilam will have 20 checkouts, including 7 lanes for self-checkout.

“Self checkouts are becoming standard throughout New Zealand supermarkets. They are a feature that has really taken off, although there are some people who will still prefer the standard format. We will have staff in this area to help shoppers unfamiliar with these new scanners.”

"New World Ilam is intent on providing its customers with the very best grocery shopping experience. Its catchment ranges from suburban residences to the local nearby university population," explains Phillip.

“A big part of shopping today is all about the experience and shoppers will be well catered for when we open our doors in November.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media