Supermarket heavyweights look to expand in growing Taupō

Thursday, 9 December 2021

Taupō may soon have two new supermarkets to meet the needs of its growing population (file photo).

Grocery shopping options in Taupō are about to explode.

New Zealand's two leading supermarket companies have both confirmed plans to expand their portfolios in the town as it continues to grow.

Taupō’s population has reached around 26,000, extensive new subdivisions are being developed and property prices have risen by 36.9 per cent in 12 months to sit at an average of $875,343, which has left the town’s current two main supermarkets struggling to keep up with demand.

Foodstuffs - which owns Pak'n Save and New World - and Woolworths - which owns Countdown and Super Value – have announced plans to build two new supermarkets in the tourist town which has become the Waikato region’s second-largest urban area outside of Hamilton.

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A new Countdown supermarket is being built in Taupō due to significant growth in the town.

It follows years of minimal change, for example, at Countdown on the corner of Spa Rd and Tongariro St since it opened as a Woolworths on December 13, 1961. The same goes for Pak’n Save on Ruapehu St which opened almost three decades ago.

But shoppers won’t have to wait much longer for more options.

A new 4,400sqm commercial hub south of the township in the Kokomea Park subdivision within the Three Mile Bay/Wharewaka area is now being developed.

It will include a new 2,300sqm Countdown alongside a mix of restaurants, cafés, retail, health and wellbeing stores.

Kokomea Village Centre project manager James Kermode said the new Countdown is set to open in October 2022.

The Lakehouse building, architecturally designed by Buchan, will be a major feature of Taupō’s Kokomea Village Centre.

“It’s being developed to a quality that you wouldn’t necessarily see in a lot of developments around New Zealand. It will probably be one of the best looking Countdowns,” he said

“Likewise for some of the other buildings including The Lakehouse which will be a very iconic pavilion style building using beautiful natural materials, lots of timber treatments, concrete and full-height glass. We have got 400sqm there for a licensed restaurant operator.”

Kermode said significant growth in the area called for such developments.

“Really it is about serving the local community that exists on that side of Taupō,” he said.

“It is going to be well and truly needed because I think you have got almost 850 houses going in there, potentially across Kokomea Park and the adjusted development.

“The retail centre links directly onto Lake Terrace and … [residents have been calling] for services for a long time, so it will be a small scale convenience retail centre for their everyday needs.”

Countdown TaupÅ has long been in need of an overhaul.

He said retailers were also demanding fit-for-purpose infrastructure in Taupō, which the town has lacked.

“Retailers have been forced to occupy buildings that aren’t necessarily fit-for-purpose because there has been a lack of zoned land for the development of retail,” he said.

“This is the first fit-for-purpose architecturally designed retail centre of any real scale for quite some time in Taupō.

“We have started earthworks on site and the first phase [Countdown and a café] will be open late next year and the rest of the centre will follow in early 2023.”

He said expressions of interest from businesses had been steady.

“We have only just launched it to market with Lisa Christensen and Gary Harwood at Bayleys Taupō but we have had really positive feedback so far,” he said.

Countdown property director Matt Grainger said the new store would create 70 jobs.

“We’re really excited to be opening a brand-new Countdown store. Kokomea Village Centre … is set to be a vibrant hub for the rapidly growing local community,” he said.

“The store will have a number of sustainability initiatives including doors on all fridges to help reduce carbon emissions, low emission vehicle parks and public and staff cycle facilities to encourage alternative transport.”

Grainger said the town’s current Countdown would remain open but plans are in place to invest “a significant amount” into its redevelopment.

Foodstuffs corporate affairs manager Emma Wooster said the company was also in the process of working towards opening a new Taupō supermarket.

It follows controversy in 2014 when the company was blocked in the Environmental Court from opening a Pak’n Save next to Mitre 10 Mega off the Napier Taupō Highway over fears it would impact negatively on the town centre.

Wooster said due to Taupō being a “vibrant and important community” the company was now working with the Taupō District Council on a new application.

“Foodstuffs North Island has recently lodged a consent for a new supermarket outside of the town centre and we hope to work collaboratively with the local council to progress this application,” she said.