The lease for the ageing building in the heart of the growing suburb was up for renewal in March, with Foodstuffs North Island confirming it would not take it up due to the significant refurbishment the building needed.
The New World store closed its doors on February 25, and left residents with no suitable long-term option on the horizon.
In May a community-initiated Flaxmere food co-op was launched, inspired by the closure and community need.
The initiative allowed shoppers to place orders online through a simple and user-friendly process for the selection of a kete of kai that suited their whānau.
Hastings ambassador Henare O’Keefe said in January before the closure that Flaxmere was on the up and it was only a matter of time before the supermarket was replaced.
“Flaxmere is an opportunity and not a liability,” he said.
O’Keefe, who was a Hastings district councillor for 15 years, said the increase in population had led to a demand for infrastructure such as a supermarket.
“We are hitting the 12,000 mark now, so we are in desperate need of a supermarket, and so there are opportunities there for anyone who wishes to take it”.
Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings and Central Hawke’s Bay newsrooms. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and has a love of sharing stories about farming and rural communities.