Squeezed store up for sale

The Trust House-owned Greytown community store is up for sale due to intense competition from the larger Fresh Choice supermarket.

Trust House chief executive Allan Pollard yesterday said the "tough decision" had to be made and a week ago the business was put on the market as a going concern and had already attracted "half a dozen-plus inquiries".

Mr Pollard said the primary concern was the retention of jobs for 20-plus staff who worked either full or part-time.

Selling as a going concern meant existing staff could apply for positions with the new owners.

Mr Pollard said he could give a categorical assurance if the business did not sell Trust House would continue trading.

"We are not going to close up shop," he said.

Trust House had contacted Foodstuffs at the time of making the sale decision and a sales document had been drawn up.

Mr Pollard said Trust House was selling the business - not the land or buildings which would remain in its ownership.

The sale would also include the bottle store, Mr Pollard said.

Fresh Choice opened in the town last year as a franchise business under the umbrella of Progressive Enterprises.

It is the first full-sized supermarket in Greytown's history.

In the past the town supported three grocery stores, Everetts Store, W.H.Day Ltd and a grocery department in the WFCA.

Fresh Choice utilised part of the old Bouzaid and Ballaben clothing factory after the closure of the factory that had been part of the failed Lane Walker Rudkin group but to all intents and purposes was a brand new building.

The franchise holders are Chris and Lindsey Ward.

In February this year Trust House reported its profits had dipped by $500,000 in the previous 10 months.

Then chief executive Bernard Teahan said the organisation was not cash-strapped but acknowledged bottle stores had been subject to intense competition from supermarket liquor sales and that it would "continue into the future".

Trust House, said Mr Teahan, had ventured into supermarkets "to get balance in that area".