New Zealand, 2014-2-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — Foodstuffs North Island has reiterated its commitment to the lower North Island saying it will have a substantial presence in Wellington for the foreseeable future. The comment follows speculation that the company intends making job cuts at its Support Centre in Silverstream.
Foodstuffs Auckland merged with Foodstuffs Wellington last September creating one entity, Foodstuffs North Island. Managing Director Murray Jordan says the merger was never about job losses, rather growth and job creation.
“While there have regrettably been 37 redundancies in Wellington and Auckland since September, that number is substantially less than the number of new jobs created this year alone. I don’t wish to down-play the impact of redundancy on those affected but Foodstuffs North Island has recently created about 400 new jobs through store openings and we have more to come.”
Foodstuffs North Island employs 2,200 staff at its three Support Centres (Auckland, Palmerston North and Wellington). Its member stores employ 23,000 people across the North Island in PAK’nSAVE, New World and Four Square supermarkets making them one of the country’s largest combined employers.
Mr Jordan says the group is making good headway with the merger as it combines legacy systems and different operating platforms. He adds the group will continue to consult with staff over any possible business structure changes through a “fair and genuine consultation process”.
“We accept that some people may resign, retire or relocate to new opportunities within the group over the next two to three years but we are committed to on-going transparency with our staff. We value their contribution and recognise the role they each play in making our business successful. We’re equally committed to our customers and members and providing them with the best service possible.”
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