The Premium Debate: Subscribers congratulate new supermarket owners

Karen and Darren Houston have always dreamed of owning Westend New World, and now their dream has come true. Photo / Andrew Warner

OPINION:

Rotorua couple Karen and Darren Huston are the new owners of Westend New World in the hometown they adore.

“Rotorua is Rotorua. It’s home and I couldn’t think of any better place to live,” Darren Huston told the Rotorua Daily Post.

The popular Rotorua-born-and-bred couple opened the city’s Edmund Rd Four Square in 2013 - a business that went on to win two Rotorua Business Awards under their leadership.

But the lure of wanting to own a supermarket saw Darren go about his owners’ training - carrying it out at the Westend New World store.

Making their recent successful bid against five others for the Westend New World was a sweet victory.

Read the full story: Rotorua-born couple nail dream job of owning home town New World supermarket.

Have your say by going dailypost.co.nz and becoming a Premium subscriber.

Awesome, good to see you back supporting your community supporting you. Keep those prices down please.

- Kiri S

Only one way to make it to the top 5 per cent - do more work and show more grit than 95 per cent. Well done. A real Kiwi success story!

- Adam J

I wouldn’t do it for all the tea in China, but good luck to them!

- Marcus A

Nice to see a story highlighting the reality behind the much-maligned supermarket duopoly. They are individual franchises owned by hard-working people who can all point to the hard work and sacrifice needed to achieve commercial success. And their success is good news for the rest of us, who enjoy being well-fed, clothed and housed. Because that doesn’t happen by chance.

- Colin J

Which reminds me - what happened about the inquiry into the ‘massive profits’ that supermarkets (and the petrol companies and electric companies) make that was promised by this Labour Government?

Always the promises and the headlines and finger-pointing, and then it all just gets too hard and normal service resumes.

Basically, the fact is that Labour does not have, and never has had, the machinery operators that are required for this sort of work.

- Roy H

Great story and good luck to them, shows what hard work and commitment can do.

- Gavin L

Let’s have more of these success stories that can provide inspiration.

- David R

We need more aspirational stories like this. Hardworking Kiwis dreaming big, making it happen, employing others and getting ahead. Go you!

- Jo M

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