Taupō's revamped Countdown store: Underground parking, pharmacy and new name

Pharmacy signage and an underground carpark entrance can be seen in the plans for the new Countdown store.

Plans for Taupō's central Countdown store show it will be rebuilt with a new pharmacy, underground parking, and electric vehicle charging points.

The resource consent document for the new store gives an insight into the changes shoppers can expect.

A Countdown spokeswoman said there was no confirmed closing date yet for the existing Countdown Taupō Central store, but a decision would be made at the end of August.

The rebuilt store would open as a Woolworths, after the company announced last month it was ditching the Countdown brand which has been in nationwide use since 2009.

However, the plans submitted still show the store with Countdown livery, as the application was made before the announcement.

The inside of the store looks set for some large changes - most notably, the addition of a pharmacy.

The new underground carpark entrance will mean the access road becomes a sharper bend.

The resource consent shows prominent signage announcing an in-store pharmacy, but does not hint at its location within the more than 4000 square metres total that the store would occupy.

Outside, tweaks would be made to the parking layout, with 150 outdoor parks, including four spaces suitable for campervans and oversize vehicles.

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The overall number of spaces in the external parking area is similar to the current store’s capacity.

Among the biggest changes to the site will be the addition of an excavated carpark under the store, adding 128 spaces and bringing the site’s total to 278 parks.

Drivers will access the underground parking via an entrance on the Tongariro Street side of the store.

This entrance will be added to the footprint taken up by the current store, which will necessitate a re-angling to the current Tongariro Street turnoff.

The resource consent plans now show the entrance, which is currently a short, straight section of road, as a sweeping S-bend to access the carpark.

Once shoppers are parked underground, they will access the shop via a travelator.

There are also nods to greener energy in the plans, with six electric vehicle charging stations in the outside carpark, and tentative plans for solar panels on the store’s roof.