'Number of shoppers was dwindling': Disappointment over closure of Chch supermarket

The Redcliffs supermarket will close its doors for the last time on April 24. Photo: Supplied
The Redcliffs supermarket will close its doors for the last time on April 24. Photo: Supplied
Shoppers are disappointed but not surprised about the impending closure of the Four Square supermarket in Redcliffs.

Foodstuffs announced last week the supermarket will close its doors on April 24.

Imre Speize.
Imre Speize.
Imre Speizer lives in Sumner and often shopped at Four Square.

“I am displeased at the closing, however, I am not surprised as the number of shoppers was always dwindling,” he said.

When the Four Square reopened as a New World in 2015 after being rebuilt as a result of earthquake damage, Speizer thought it would slowly take off.

In a normal, non-Covid world, it would have grown in use, he said.

However, the shop was re-branded as Four Square in June 2020, a move Speizer believed was too hasty.

"If the goal was to increase the numbers of shoppers, the brand change did not make sense," Speizer said.

"Four Square typically being more expensive than other supermarkets."

Nancy Meherne.
Nancy Meherne.
Nancy Meherne is 92-years-old and also lives in Sumner.

She said she will be sad to see the shop close because of its convenience.

However, she usually shops at Countdown in Ferrymead anyway because she says it is much cheaper.

Said Meherne: "It is understandable it is closing.

"There weren’t ever many people there, sometimes I was the only one."

Margaret McKie agreed with Meherne's sentiments of shopping somewhere cheaper - she usually does her larger shops at Pak’n Save.

Said Tim Donaldson, general manager retail, Foodstuffs South Island: “We would like to thank our loyal Redcliffs customers for supporting the store over the last 20 years - it’s always a sad day to close a store and we very much wish things had turned out differently.”

Foodstuffs South Island is looking at alternative options for the use of the building following closure, which may include selling or leasing the site.