Gizzy grocer

Highland lad: Ewan Atherton swapped his GP’s stethoscope for a grocer’s apron — or in this case a T-shirt — 14 years ago.

THE Gizzy Grocer stands at the window of his office surveying his “town square”.

He has a huge grin on his face and his eyes sparkle not only because the risk he took to change careers 14 years ago has paid off but also because he sees people chatting, hugging, laughing and catching up in the supermarket aisles below him.

His vision of creating a marketplace where people socialise and have a happy experience — rather than just rushing around looking harassed as they fire things into their trolleys and race for the check-out counter — is becoming a reality before his eyes.

The 51-year-old former GP remembers in vivid detail the moment he decided to swap his stethoscope for a grocer’s apron.

“My father and I were hiking the West Highland Way,” says the lad raised in the little Highland village of Kinlochleven, 100m north of his birthplace, Glasgow.

The tramp is a seven-day, 150km track from the lowlands to the Highlands passing through glens and lochs that have given their names to many places in New Zealand.

“Along the way, I had to crouch down to pass through a hole in a rock. As I looked back on the narrow gap, I thought to myself there is a time when one must decide to take a risk, swim against the tide and step into the unknown, even when others think you are crazy . . . and this was my time.

“I had been mulling it over for some time, but there and then, I decided to make a radical change in my career path from medicine to groceries.

“The sense of relief was enormous. I knew it was the right thing for me to do.”

After 10 years as a GP in Whakatane, Ewan says he had been feeling restless and was looking for a new challenge.

“General practice is an incredibly tough job. The demands are immense and I have enormous respect for anyone who stays in the job all their lives.

“You need the right approach to survive long-term,” he says.

“When I was a GP, I gave the job 150 percent. I covered the psych ward at the hospital, practised sports medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, and performed grommet surgery on children with glue ear. I was ‘the doctor going for the doctor’.

“I also considered doing post-grad surgery but decided against a further seven years’ study on top of the seven years’ study I had already done,” says the Auckland University graduate.

During his time in general practice, major changes occurred.

“Obstetrics moved from GPs to midwives which took away the delightful balance of delivering babies into the world and looking after elderly and terminal patients at the other end of life.

“And the level of red tape sky-rocketed. GPs became information-gatherers for the government with ACC forms, codes for this and that and complicated drug protocols.”

Connecting with peopleThe aspect he enjoyed the most about working as a GP was his connection with people.

“The whole cornerstone of a GP’s work is the relationship with patients, which enables them to talk honestly with you. But I had a hankering to express this part of my personality in a different way.

“I knew some New World and PAK’nSAVE grocers who seemed to relish what they were doing and were putting lots back into their communities so I decided to have a shot at it.

“From there it was a five-year journey of considering different options, deciding on one and then chasing it with gusto.”

Getting into Foodstuffs management was very challenging, he says and similar to entry into medical school.

“I underwent psychometric testing, the results of which were very interesting. They suggested I was a better fit for a management/CEO role rather than my current career of general practice.

“Following these tests and several interviews, I was approved to enter the trainee operator programme. Ahead of me was 12 months’ on-the-job training at supermarkets in Orewa, Hamilton and Whakatane, with no guarantee of a successful outcome and no income.

“Six months into the training, I began to believe I might just make a success of this, and in spite of the 14-hour days and no pay, I was almost euphoric.”

Ewan finished his training in January 2004 and took over as owner-operator of the Matamata New World in September 2004 followed by Gisborne PAK’nSAVE in May 2013.

He loves his job which he describes as like being at the helm of a yacht which is sailing very fast.

“I have to keep a close eye on the horizon, constantly trimming the sails and figuring out how to make the boat perform better. If I chart a course to go 100km in a certain direction but find there’s a big reef in the way, I have to change course and rethink my strategy. It’s highly varied, challenging and immensely enjoyable work, and I feel incredibly privileged to be in charge of the boat.

“In practical terms, as the director of Gizzy Groceries (the name of the company that trades as Gisborne PAK’nSAVE), I need to ensure good performance throughout the store, make sure our relationships with the community are sound, look after our staff and develop leadership potential in key people.”

Engaging with staff is the aspect of the work he enjoys the most.

“If they are happy, our customers will enjoy shopping here. People are the theme — that’s what running a store is all about. We have 240 staff, 2000 suppliers and many thousands of customers.

“It’s not my grocery store but Gisborne’s grocery store. I’m trying to bring a ‘town square’ feel to the place, so we’ve created a brighter physical environment with new LED lighting, and reduced clutter to provide more open spaces for people to talk if they bump into someone they know.”

Preparing future leadersAnother aspect of the work that he relishes is the grooming of future leaders in the industry.

“We have three young guys here working full- time and also studying retail and management at Massey University. We pay their fees so after three years they will end up with university degrees, no student loans, money in the bank and a wealth of practical experience.

“I get a huge buzz out of seeing people grow and develop both at work and in their personal lives, often achieving things they’ve never dreamed of, building confidence and self- esteem and becoming the best they can be.”

Ewan is a strong believer in supporting local producers.

“It’s fantastic to have locally-sourced products in store like Gizzy Milk, Waimata Cheese, Kirkfield free-range eggs, Gizzy bread, LeaderBrand’s broccoli, sweetcorn, watermelons and bagged lettuce range, and of course many Gizzy wines.”

Looking to the future, Ewan says the store is due for a major upgrade.

“This old girl has served the community well for 22 years but in terms of looks, she needs a little bit of a kick up the bottom. Watch the space in front of the store,” he says with a wink.

Fourteen years down the grocery track, Ewan says Foodstuffs is a dynamic organisation to be involved with.

“Made up of PAK’nSAVE, New World and Four Square, it is 100 percent Kiwi-owned, has 57 percent of New Zealand’s grocery market and is the only co-op in the world that has dominant market share. With over 35,000 staff, it’s one of biggest companies in New Zealand.”

Beyond the supermarket, Ewan is a gregarious person who loves fine wine and food, poetry, music and sport.

He grew up in a musical family where his parents were keen singers. Ewan began playing the guitar at the age of nine and sang in Handel’s oratorio The Messiah at 14.

He had no formal musical education and says he’s fortunate he can “bash out a song by ear and sometimes even sing in tune”.

He sings everything from Jimmy Barnes to John Denver, and Van Morrison’s Have I Told You Lately is his favourite song.

A good mate in Whakatane introduced him to poetry in his mid-30s.

“I write the occasional sonnet and ballad and love reciting poetry. My favourite poem is Breathes There The Man by Scottish poet Sir Walter Scott.”

An avid sportsmanEwan describes himself as “an avid participant in many sports” including road and mountain biking, squash, tennis, fishing, scuba diving, snow skiing and golf.

“I’ve done the Coast to Coast but I can assure you, as with all my sports, I am there to make up the numbers!”

Ewan has three children — Isabelle 23, Charlotte, 22, and James, 19, and lives with his partner Shara who helps run the store.

The results of a psychological test in 2002 epitomise his positive, enthusiastic, youthful view of life.

The conclusion reads:

“You see the world through rose-tinted glasses . . . and you still like to dance on table tops.”