Supermarket giant plans new stores

Progressive is rebranding all its stores as Countdown. Photo / Bay of Plenty Times

Supermarket operator Progressive Enterprises has spent $200 million in the past year as it expands and rebrands and plans to build five new Countdown stores in the upper North Island.

Progressive, which committed last year to spending $1 billion over five years, plans to build new stores at Beachlands in coastal Manukau City, at St Johns in the east of Auckland City, at Kerikeri in the Bay of Islands, and in Warkworth and Hamilton.

Plans for the quiet, but expanding, seaside area of Beachlands are well advanced.

The supermarket giant wants to have land near the coast southeast of Auckland rezoned as business, enabling it to build a $50 million new town centre, including a huge 3600sq m Countdown.

In September, the 150-store Australian owner of the Woolworths, Foodtown and Countdown brands announced a five-year plan to rebrand all its stores as Countdowns, build new stores and refurbish existing ones.

Penny Newbigin, Progressive spokesperson, said yesterday that since last June, the chain had spent $200 million.

A new Countdown is rising at Hornby, Christchurch and in the last year, new stores were developed at Pukekohe, Manukau and New Plymouth.

Newbigin said $50 million at Beachlands was Progressive's estimated investment but other retailing interest was being sought to create the new town centre.

"We committed to spending $1 billion over three to five years when we announced the rebranding," she said.

This weekend the chain is planning to hold an open day to promote controversial plans to the Beachlands community.

Manukau City Council's expansion blueprint for the area, Beachlands Village: New Avenues, has been hotly debated. Submissions on that discussion document closed in February.

The council says Beachlands, 2km from Maraetai and in the Clevedon ward of Manukau City, can take growth. But many locals are unhappy and don't want growth, the supermarket or the new town centre.

The Pohutukawa Coast Community Association has complained to the Auckland Regional Council that the expansion plans for Beachlands are outside the metropolitan urban limits, are inconsistent with the area's district plan, will create roading, water and other infrastructure problems and could ruin the existing shopping area.

They are demanding assurances from the council that the area's population will not be expanded beyond 10,000. But Newbigin questioned the association's status.

"It claims to represent the local community. We think otherwise and that's why we're having the open day," she said yesterday.

The association says debate over the future of the area will heat up further as Progressive moves on its plans. It is encouraging residents and ratepayers to express their views and make submissions on Progressive's proposed private plan change.

But the supermarket chain is arguing the area is ripe for expansion and its new shops will benefit locals, not detracting from the character of the area.

"Beachlands and Maraetai are not currently serviced by any major retail facilities and only a small block of convenience shops exists to cater for the immediate population. At present, the vast majority of residents living in Beachlands, Maraetai and the East Whitford rural area travel to Botany or Howick to do their main shopping," the chain said.

Progressive wants to develop a business centre which would include a Countdown and other shops, premises for businesses, offices, bars, restaurants and a service station.

The chain says it is working with the council to rezone just over 5ha of its 12.6ha site on the corner of Beachlands Rd and the Whitford-Maraetai Rd. The rezoning application was made public this month and submissions are now being called for.

Progressive Enterprises is presenting its plans for the new shopping area at Beachlands Hall on Saturday from 11am to 1pm.