Having worked for E Hayes & Sons since he was 15, it had been more of a "lifestyle than a job".
Mr Hoffman, 68, said it would take some adjusting leaving work and the people he had come to think of as his second family.
"I’m moving into unknown territory because I’ve never been unemployed.
"Norman Hayes had been like a father figure to me.
"They really looked after me in the best possible way."
He started working in the inwards goods department on September 21, 1972, and was employed during a time when "invoices and calculations were still handwritten".
He was glad when the store finally installed a computer system during the millennium, so he no longer had "to check the equations" before sending the details off to the office.
Being made sales manager of the paint counter in 1983 was one of his career highlights.
He credited his predecessor Jim King for giving him sage advice: "anything you start, you’ve got to finish — no matter how long it takes, whether you’re even looking for something for a customer, you’ve got to search that out and get back to them".
Following that advice led to him working his way up to his retail sales manager role.
The chance to travel around New Zealand and overseas representing E Hayes & Sons products built up years of loyalty for his long-standing employer.
He was grateful to the Hayes family for allowing him to pursue his outdoor pursuits alongside his job.
He could not have imagined becoming an award-winning clay target shooter without the support of his employer.
"[Mr Hayes] always supported me with my clay-shooting competitions.
"I was a hunter and I’d become a tracker for the police.
"[He] always gave me time off for when I was called for the Land Search and Rescue team."
The most rewarding things about his job were helping customers and building relationships with the people he met.
Celebrating his last day on the job tomorrow surrounded by family and friends would be bittersweet.
"I will miss serving people and the lifelong connections that I’ve made with past and present staff."
He was looking forward to spending his retirement perfecting his clay-shooting skills, hunting and sharpening knives as a part-time side hustle.
He and his wife Helen will celebrate with a trip to Samoa next month.
