It was one of the remaining stores with Countdown branding in New Zealand.
“We have valued being a part of this special community, and are working closely with our team to ensure they can continue their careers with Woolworths.
“Our last day of trading will be April 24, 2025, and after that, we’ll continue to serve locals at Woolworths Te Atatū South and other nearby stores.”
A Woolworths spokesperson confirmed discussions were ongoing with the 58 staff at the supermarket, with nothing currently confirmed for their futures, including redeployment options.
FIRST Union retail secretary Rudd Hughes, who represents 55 employees at Woolworths Te Atatū, said staff had known of the closure since mid-last year.
“It has been months in advance that people have known that the business was going to be sold. The members of the store knew it was happening.
“They had conversations with them, and their stated aim was to redeploy these people in other jobs,” Hughes said.
Hughes said while redundancy was on the cards for some, Woolworths was also looking to place workers in other stores.
The nearest Woolworths locations to the Te Atatū supermarket included Woolworths Te Atatū South, Lincoln Road and Henderson.
The Te Atatū closure comes as the business' Westgate supermarket has also been sold.
The supermarket on Maki St in Westgate was sold by Colliers for $20.2 million, although the buyer’s identity is unknown.
Director of capital markets for Colliers Blair Peterken said: “This transaction is another example of the strong demand we are experiencing from investors for Large Format Retail (LFR) and Neighbourhood Retail Centres”.
A Woolworths spokesperson confirmed the sale would have no impact on the store’s operation or customers.
Serious restructure
Alongside the Te Atatū closure, it was revealed yesterday that Woolworths has proposed a major restructure of its New Zealand store operating model, leaving workers worried their hours and pay could be cut.
The proposal could potentially see some supervisors move on to the shop floor stocking shelves and helping customers find products.
A Woolworths spokesperson said the changes were still proposals, but the business' operating model had not been updated in nearly 20 years.
“Our customers are looking to us to improve their shopping experience, and we believe that our proposed model would put the right expertise in the right place at the right time to do exactly that,” the spokesperson said.
“It would mean more team on the store floor helping customers, ensuring the products they need are on the shelves, and improving our overall service and experience when they shop with us.”
A Woolworths employee, who wished to remain anonymous, claimed that under the proposal some managers could lose their positions, with their roles combined depending on the store size.
Workers could have their positions essentially “downgraded” to a filler, with their hours capped at a maximum of 20 per week, they claimed.
The employee, who has been with Woolworths for nine years, works as a supervisor for 45 hours a week earning $28 an hour. Under the new proposal, they said, their role could be cut to 20 hours a week with their hourly wage cut to $26 an hour.
“I started here when I was 18, it’s been my whole life working here.
“They’re talking about voluntary redundancies and I’m more than likely going to have to take that.”
Woolworths said the proposal was still under review, with staff feedback being sought until March 24.
Tom Raynel is a multimedia business journalist for the Herald, covering small business and retail.
