New store expects mayhem

Okara Park Kmart store manager Sharlene Goberdhan with Kmart New Zealand zone manager Jason Picard. Photo / John Stone

There is one mannequin for every staff member in the new Kmart store in Okara Shopping Centre which opens tomorrow morning.

The 5000sq m store, which employs a staff of 80, will have 20 checkouts operating from tomorrow and was expecting four days of retail mayhem.

After that, it would reduce to six checkouts and six self-service, said store manager Sharlene Goberdhan, who has come to Whangarei from Auckland, where she was manager at the Botany outlet. She has been with Kmart for six years and moved to Maunu three months ago with her husband Revash, and with her four children, who are all under the age of 10.

The New Zealand zone manager for the big box retailer, Jason Picard, said the Australian-based company had faced some criticism about profits going overseas and products being sourced abroad.

He said products were sourced from China, Bangladesh and India and Kmart had a 250-strong team throughout Asia examining quality and the work standards of suppliers.

"We have confidence in the quality of our products and think nothing of recalling items if there is even a slight doubt about the quality.

On profits going overseas, he said "This store employs people who live in the community, here in Whangarei and it is helping to develop this region.

"We use local contractors and are paying taxes here. It's fair to say that the profits of most big stores will go offshore with shareholders," he said.

The shopping centre has gone through an $8-million facelift, with Hill Construction taking on the project on behalf of the Okara Shopping Centre landlords, to make room for Kmart.

Centre manager Allan Brown said there were now 22 stores at the park, which had 1200 parking spaces, including those outside Warehouse Extra.

Warehouse Stationary moved from the Kmart site in 2012 to the spot beside the main store, and Fishing, Camping and Outdoors moved to the refurbished former Plumbing World site, which moved to Okara Dr. Mega Surf is back in its new store and a new tenant has also arrived with Kmart in Ruakaka's Country Bake.