Countdown Bethlehem in Tauranga on the North Island opened on Thursday as Woolworths Bethlehem – after a $4.6m refresh over 5 months, with the brand new retailer together with a devoted drive-up space for on-line prospects to choose up orders, introduction of digital shelf labels and a brand new well being meals aisle.
Woolworths Bethlehem retailer supervisor Dwaine Geddes was a part of the unique crew that first opened the shop almost 20 years in the past and mentioned it felt like a “full-circle moment” to now be main the crew by way of its reopening as Woolworths.
Woolworths New Zealand managing director Spencer Sonn mentioned the shop was an instance of what prospects would see from the rebrand.
“Our investment is not in changing signage – it’s in modernising our stores to meet the needs of our communities across Aotearoa.”
The rebrand would see all 194 shops change to Woolworths and would provide “more value for customers” by way of a refreshed loyalty programme and the launch of “everyday rewards” for New Zealand subsequent 12 months.
Woolworths had a protracted historical past in New Zealand, opening its first New Zealand retailer in Wellington in 1929 earlier than it was rebranded to Countdown between 2009 and 2011.
The announcement of the return to Woolworths kicked up a stink with customers who labelled the transfer “ridiculous” and “a waste of money” on the supermarkets Facebook web page.
Source: www.9news.com.au
