Three Dunedin supermarkets are spending a total of about $20 million to expand and meet higher customer expectations.
Gardens New World is in the middle of a $6.5 million upgrade, expected to be finished by the end of the year, while Centre City New World is undertaking a $11.5 million upgrade, which started last month and is expected to finish in the middle of next year.
Countdown Central is also undergoing an upgrade, expected to finish in July.
Though a Progressive Enterprises spokeswoman declined to say how much the Countdown upgrade was costing, another spokeswoman said earlier the upgrade was worth about $2 million.
Foodstuffs operates New World, Pak'n Save and Four Square stores.
Progressive Enterprises, owned by Woolworths, operates Countdown, Foodtown, and Woolworths stores.
Foodstuffs South Island Ltd general manager of retail development Roger Davidson, of Christchurch, said the company, along with its owner-operators, regularly reviewed stores' performances and wanted to meet the needs of customers.
He said the company wanted to keep up with overseas trends and that meant changes to stores.
Centre City New World and Gardens New World were last upgraded in the mid-1990s. Both stores would have new floors, new plant and equipment, and new roofs.
Centre City New World general manager Craig Nieper said there would be about 15% more retail space with the upgrade and more preparation room for the store butchery and bakery.
The site would expand by 860sq m. The store was expanding into land it owned on the western side of the supermarket.
The supermarket opened in December 1986 and this was its third upgrade.
Gardens New World owner Ross Parry said the upgrade there, an expansion of 500sq m, started about four months ago and should be finished by December.
The supermarket would have about 40% more retail space.
Growth in the number of university students in the area had led to higher demand in the supermarket, he said.
A Progressive Enterprises spokeswoman said the Countdown Central supermarket would have a new layout, and would be part of a new format for Countdown stores.
None of the supermarkets would close during renovations because customers had the expectation stores would be open.
