The South Island earthquake has destroyed New World in Kaiapoi beyond repair, leaving more than 80 employees jobless.The supermarket was run by locals Andrew and Jacqui Palmer and employed 34 fulltime and 52 part time staff.The damage caused by Saturday's
The South Island earthquake has destroyed New World in Kaiapoi beyond repair, leaving more than 80 employees jobless.
The supermarket was run by locals Andrew and Jacqui Palmer and employed 34 fulltime and 52 part time staff.
The damage caused by Saturday's earthquake is so severe it is not viable to save the building. It will take at least one year to build and open a new one, which Foodstuffs - New World's parent company - plans to do.
Foodstuffs operates more than 680 owner-operated full service supermarkets, retail food warehouses, grocery and small convenience stores, large and small format liquor stores and fuel sites nationwide.
Of four warehouses the company has in the South Island, one was badly affected by the earthquake. The Hornby distribution centre has suffered significant damage to the ambient storage facility. It is now non-operational and will be closed for “weeks.”
Foodstuffs South Island chief executive Steve Anderson told the National Business Review the earthquake presented one of the biggest disasters the business had ever dealt with.
“In my 10 years as the CEO of Foodstuffs South Island this is the biggest challenge we have faced.”
Staff will receive their full pay for two months, through the Palmers’ insurer. Shopping vouchers have also been given out by the Foodstuffs Community Trust: $500 worth to fulltime employees and $250 to part timers.
Each employee will also have free access to counsellors to help them deal with distress, as well as specialist business advisers from local firm Polson Higgs over the next two months to help them find alternative employment.
Foodstuffs has also offered to assist New World Kaiapoi staff with finding positions in other supermarkets under their operation but at this point it is unclear how many will take that offer as they are still “too upset to think about it,” Mr Anderson said.
“We are very distressed that the damage to the supermarket has meant we are unable to re-open and we are doing everything we can to help all of those affected.”
