Supermarket boom: Woolworths and Foodstuffs add new stores

Te Roropipi, a major new precinct, is being developed on a large paddock in Greenmeadows.

The former Woolworths Te Atatū store is being converted to a New World. Photo / Dean Purcell

Te Roropipi spans about 17ha at 42 Wharerangi Rd and will deliver a “thriving community” in the coming years.

Groundworks are underway for parts of that land.

Woolworths Paerāta Rise

At Paerāta Rise, a 3600sq m Woolworths store is to have a 180sq m online order hub. The store will have six direct-to-boot bays and four electric vehicle parking spaces with chargers.

The site is at the north-western corner of the new development, near the Karaka Rd/Glenbrook Rd roundabout.

Woolworths property director Matthew Grainger said Paerāta Rise was a fast-growing community.

Plans for the new Woolworths Paerāta Rise in Auckland. Photo / Woolworths

“Our experience elsewhere is that a new supermarket can be a game-changer for a growing community, enabling a new level of convenience for local residents, and acting as a catalyst to attract other new shops and services to the area.”

Paerāta Rise is being developed by Grafton Downs, whose executive director, Chris Johnston, said construction signalled the beginning of a larger commercial centre.

“As someone who represents the development and lives locally, it’s great to see this progress happening,” Johnston said today.

In another $50 million project, Foodstuffs is expanding and renovating the ex-Woolworths Te Atatū to become New World Te Atatū.

About 120 staff will be employed this year, once a new owner/operator is appointed. That appointment is due to happen before the end of this month.

About 15,000 residents in the Auckland suburb have been left without a nearby supermarket because of the programme.

Foodstuffs North Island’s property head Nick Hanson (left) and retail and property general manager Lindsay Rowles, who has since gone to Mitre 10, at the site of the new Te Atatū store last year. Photo / Dean Purcell

Woolworths Te Atatū, in a suburb being reshaped by new townhouses as building densities intensify, shut on April 24 last year.

Floor space at the supermarket will increase to 1725sq m, nearly 10% more than the old store. Back-of-house and loading areas are being expanded via a new build.

Foodstuffs is expanding and renovating the ex-Woolworths Te Atatū to become New World Te Atatū. Photo / Dean Purcell

A new click-and-collect zone has been developed facing Te Atatū Rd, all under cover, so shoppers can pre-order, drive in, have goods loaded into their boots and drive out without having to leave their vehicles.

Last year, Foodstuffs opened the $73m New World Pt Chevalier.

New World Pt Chevalier, Auckland, opened to shoppers last year. Photo / Jason Dorday

New World Pt Chevalier is the biggest investment for Foodstuffs North Island after the frenetic February 2025 opening of the $100m Pak’nSave Highland Park, East Auckland.

Last February, more than 5700 customers poured into the Highland Park Pak’nSave for its grand opening, with the supermarket forced to bring in extra trolleys.

New World Victoria Park last August. Photo / Annaleise Shortland

Meanwhile, the lack of work on the burnt New World Victoria Park has been criticised by locals who miss their store.

Nine months after the fire at New Zealand’s most valuable New World supermarket, no rebuild application has emerged, although its owner/operator says they are “going at full pace on design”.

Last June’s fire resulted in the Auckland building being stripped back considerably, ready to be rebuilt.

An Auckland Council spokeswoman said no rebuild application consent had yet been sought.

Residents from Freemans Bay, Ponsonby, Herne Bay and St Marys Bay have fumed about what appears to them as a dead site.

Steve Purton, New World Victoria Park owner/operator, said the Foodstuffs team was working hard to keep momentum up.

“We’re going at full pace on the design. We’ve engaged local architects and construction partners to bring the new store to life,” Purton said.

“As always for these projects, there’s a lot happening behind the scenes and it’s great to see it coming together.”

Separately, the co-operative is building a new storage base in south Auckland.

Foodstuffs North Island chief executive Chris Quin said last year the business was developing a 28,128sq m warehouse across the road from the grocery co-operative’s new support centre at Māngere.

Foodstuffs had leased the site at The Landing from Auckland Airport on a 25-year term and Quin said the businesses were working together.

The project, to be the size of four rugby fields, would “future-proof” the upper North Island’s food and grocery supply chain, he said.

Plans for the new Pak’nSave Takapuna have been approved by the council. Image / Auckland Council

A new Pak’nSave is also planned for the North Shore.

Foodstuffs North Island won approval to build New Zealand’s largest new supermarket.

A $100m Pak’nSave of more than half a hectare is allowed at Takapuna with 197 car parking spaces near the motorway on and off-ramps near Esmonde Rd.

Consent sought more than a year ago was granted for a 6461sq m building.

That is larger than Foodstuffs’ new 6100sq m Pak’nSave Highland Park, which opened last year.

The Takapuna supermarket is consented for the greenfields ex-rubbish dump reclaimed site at 6 Fred Thomas Drive, opposite The Lake House and Rosmini College.

Anne Gibson has been the Herald’s property editor for 26 years, written books and covered property extensively here and overseas.

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