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Fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, bread, milk, and bakery items are set to line the shelves of a new independent supermarket in the Flaxmere Village Shopping Centre.
The new tenants in the former Flaxmere New World building, Anugrah Ltd, have named their new grocery operation “Flaxmere Supermarket” and plan to have the store open by the end of March.
Technical issues, and the holiday period shutdown of work, had delayed the opening, which was originally planned for the end of January.
The store’s opening will be an experiment as to whether Hawke’s Bay’s food duopoly — largely controlled by Foodstuffs North Island and Woolworths — can be broken or even eaten into.
The business was started in May 2024 by three Auckland-based shareholders, Niravkumar Indubhai Patel, Rakeshbhai Patel, and Kavan Prabodhchandra Sonara — who each hold a 33% share in the business.
Nirav Patel wanted the supermarket to be community-focused and cater to a range of cultures in the suburb, as well as provide all the household staples.
Nirav Patel said he wanted the supermarket to be part of the Flaxmere community. Photo / Michaela Gower
“We are not only here to do business, we want to fit in and be part of the community.”
Patel said he was working with Bay producers to stock six aisles of shelving and 27 metres of freezers and chillers until they were full.
“We went to the farmers’ markets and we saw some nice bakery people and we would like their product to be in our store.”
Patel worked as an accountant and has been in various roles in the supermarket industry for 15 years and wanted the business to fit to Flaxmere’s tastes.
“We saw that the community really needs a supermarket and they deserve one that caters to their needs.”
He said they aimed to be a convenient supermarket with prices that “wouldn’t break” customers’ budgets.
“We will be the community hub so when customers come they feel like this is their store.”
Patel said they would also offer a “quick food” option of chicken and chips.
He said a lot of people had been peering through the windows into the store to see what was happening and asking when they would be opening.
“We are excited to welcome them and show them what is happening here.”
The shelves stand empty in the new Flaxmere Supermarket which is planning on opening by the end of March. Photo / Michaela Gower
He said the business hoped to employ seven staff members to stock shelves and operate the four checkouts, but expected the number of employees to grow as they developed the store.
There would also be an opportunity to employ students for part-time work.
He said the announcement that TW Property had submitted a resource consent to the Hastings District Council for the development of a new Woolworthssupermarket at the rear of the Flaxmere shopping precinct had not put a stop to their endeavours.
The supermarket remains unmarked in the Flaxmere village shopping centre. Photo / Michaela Gower
Patel said the plans for a 3460sq m full-service supermarket, along with a separate retail space and customer carpark with 171 car parks could provide challenges for their store, but hoped they would get local support.
He said there was still a lot of work to be done before opening and wanted to continue to connect with local growers and producers to bring them on board as suppliers.
Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings newsroom. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and loves sharing stories about farming and rural communities.
