Something about the bustle of the store, the pace of the grocery business and being in a place where the entire community came together, stuck with him.
Years later, he was drawn back to the store floor, this time with a broader vision — to run a store of his own.
Now, he and his wife Monique are proud to be the new owners of New World Temuka, a move that has brought them closer to family and to the heart of a welcoming South Canterbury community.
"I started at the bottom, learning how a store ticks, and I’ve never forgotten that experience," Mr Martin said in a statement.
"It got under my skin and I never strayed too far.
"Supermarkets are a unique kind of business — a hub for the whole community, an incredibly complex operation, balancing thousands of products, managing supply chains, keeping shelves stocked, and where success depends not just on sales, but on people and knowing the community it serves."
After his first supermarket job, Mr Martin moved into a supplier role with Unilever.
For the past 13 years, he had been part of the Foodstuffs South Island team, most recently as retail operations head and New World group manager, supporting owner-operators across the South Island to run successful local supermarkets.
"In my Foodstuffs roles, I was fortunate to work alongside so many incredible owner-operators, helping them run their own businesses, and I eventually realised I wanted to take that step myself," he said.
After becoming an approved owner, Mr and Mrs Martin were thrilled to be able to buy New World Temuka in July 2025.
Since taking over, the Martins have been busy getting to know the community — presenting at Opihi College, where students learned about the many career paths and opportunities in supermarkets, joining the local golf club, sponsoring community initiatives and coaching a local cricket team.
Mr Martin said they were loving store life and felt very welcomed to South Canterbury.
"Temuka is a great town with so much happening, and we’re proud to be part of it."
