KEY POINTS:
Foodstuffs (Auckland) today opened its first Auckland Duffy & Finn's large format liquor store in Pukekohoe.
The 800 square metre, $1 million store is the second Duffy & Finn's to open in New Zealand, with the first, a smaller store, opened by Foodstuffs (Wellington) in Porirua in August.
The rollout of the chain is an intensification of competition in the liquor market with rival grocery chain Woolworths expected to begin replicating here its Australian chain, Dan Murphy's, on which Duffy & Finn's is modelled.
Foodstuffs (Auckland) managing director Tony Carter said the new store had the widest range of liquor available in the country. He also guaranteed the store's prices in all categories would not be beaten.
"This is the first store, which we will be treating as a pilot. Once we are confident we have it exactly right, we'll be commencing an aggressive rollout plan across the Auckland region," he said.
Like other stores in the Foodstuffs' stable, the Pukekohe store is locally owned and operated.
Woolworths is reported to be assessing the privately-owned 41-store chain The Mill Liquorsave while Foodstuffs is said to be negotiating to buy another chain, Imperial Liquor, a seven-store chain based in Christchurch.
Foodstuffs (South Island) is trialling a chain of smaller suburban liquor stores under the Henry's brand.
The Warehouse has also got in on the act, opening two Warehouse Cellars stores with a joint venture partner.
Foodstuffs' strategy general manager Rob Chemaly said the retailer the Duffy & Finn's rollout was not necessarily a response to Woolworths, but had been planned for some time.
- NZPA
