Foodstuffs North Island celebrates locally owned store success at annual Co-op Awards with new awards added to the mix

15 August 2023

Chris Quin at 2023 Co-op Awards

Foodstuffs North Island CE Chris Quin at the 2023 Co-op Awards

  

Foodstuffs North Island celebrated the outstanding achievements across the co-operative’s PAK’nSAVE, New World, Four Square and Gilmours supermarkets at its annual Co-op Awards, held last week at Auckland’s Viaduct Event Centre.

 

Now in its 8th year, the Foodstuffs North Island Co-op Awards recognise the organisation’s highest performing people and stores, with 22 awards across six categories, including Store of the Year, Customer Promises, Partner of the Year, New in Brand, Here for NZ and the Co-operative Spirit award.

 

Kym Samuels, Co-Op Spirit award winner is with Foodstuffs North Island Board Chairman Dean Waddell

Kym Samuels, Co-Op Spirit award winner is with Foodstuffs North Island Board Chairman Dean Waddell

 

This year the awards have been refreshed with pinnacle customer focused awards like Store of the Year and the Co-op Spirit Award retained, and new ones introduced including Customer Promises and Here for NZ, which Foodstuffs North Island CE Chris Quin says more closely aligns to the co-operative’s customer and community driven focus.

 

“Our aspiration is to become one of the most customer driven retailers in the world, so we wanted to make sure our Co-op Awards reflect and celebrate this. Building our customer promises into our awards means we can recognise our stores who go over and above to give their customers great value, experiences, and awesome solutions every time they shop with us,” he says.

 

The Here for NZ award focuses on how stores are delivering the co-operative’s social promises, including making sure New Zealanders have access to healthy and affordable food, sustainability leadership, meaningful and safe work, and local community support.

 

“It’s a privilege to trade in our communities, and a responsibility to be here for New Zealand so it’s important our Co-op Awards reflect this too,” says Chris.

  

Here for NZ award, New World Southmalls Lin Guo with Foodstuffs North Islands Willa Hand

Here for NZ award: New WorldSouthmall's Lin Guo is with Foodstuffs North Island’s Willa Hand, Head of Membership Experience

 

This year’s Here for NZ winner, Lin Guo and the team at New World Southmall have a strong track record of delivering for both their customers and their team.

 

New World Southmall are huge supporters of many community groups in their area as well as their local social supermarket programme. They lead the way in sustainability with a zero-waste policy which ensures usable food can be passed to foodbanks and food rescue organisations,” Chris says.

 

The awards have strict judging criteria and are measured using scorecards, along with mystery shopping and customer engagement, reviewed by a panel of experts to ensure there’s a clear methodology to determine winners.

Chris says it’s a very difficult process given the outstanding efforts so many owners and their teams put in every day of the year to deliver for Foodstuffs North Island customers.

 

“The standard for these awards and the calibre of our finalists was incredibly high. My congratulations go out to all our finalists and award winners this year who have put in such hard work and heart into delivering a superb experience for our customers and communities, you should all be immensely proud,” he says.

 

Congratulations to all of the finalists and winners

Award Category

Finalists

Winner

Owner operator

Here for NZ Award

4 Square Parakai

New World Southmall

Lin Guo

 

New World Southmall

 

 

 

PAK’nSAVE Thames

 

 

 

New World Aokautere

 

 

Customer Promises - Gilmours

 

 

 

Have What I Need

Gilmours North Shore

Gilmours Central

Peter Blackwell

 

Gilmours Central

 

 

 

Gilmours Mt Roskill

 

 

Easy Every Time

Gilmours Tauranga

Gilmours Mt Roskill

Aaron Kedzlie

 

Gilmours Wellington

 

 

 

Gilmours Mt Roskill

 

 

Fair Value I Can Trust

Gilmours Tauranga

Gilmours Manukau

Dayne Riddell

 

Gilmours Hamilton

 

 

 

Gilmours Manukau

 

 

Customer Promises - 4 Square

 

 

 

Fresh Faves

4 Square Wainui Road

4 Square Mangawhai Heads

Hamish Townsend

 

4 Square Russell

 

 

 

4 Square Mangawhai Heads

 

 

 

4 Square Kaiwaka

 

 

Local Service

4 Square Ngongotahā

4 Square Kaiwaka

Ant Pedersen

 

4 Square Coromandel

 

 

 

4 Square Kaiwaka

 

 

Everyday Essentials

4 Square Ngongotahā

Note two equal winners

 

 

4 Square Wainui Road

4 Square Martinborough

Conor Kershaw

 

4 Square Parakai

4 Square Ngongotahā

Grant Plummer

 

4 Square Martinborough

 

 

 

4 Square Raglan

 

 

Customer Promises - New World

 

 

 

Inspiring Solutions

New World Whakatāne

New World Whakatāne

Jeremy Bennett

 

New World Papakura

 

 

 

New World Long Bay

 

 

 

New World Gate Pā

 

 

 

New World Merrilands

 

 

Awesome Experience

New World Whakatāne

New World Rototuna

Suresh Chiminlal

 

New World Rototuna

 

 

 

New World Pioneer

 

 

 

New World Gate Pā

 

 

 

New World Long Bay

 

 

Fair Value Everyday

New World Rototuna

New World Whanganui

Adrian Rees

 

New World Pioneer

 

 

 

New World Whakatāne

 

 

 

New World Whanganui

 

 

 

New World Gate Pā

 

 

Customer Promises - PNS

 

 

 

Fresh As

PAK'nSAVE Te Awamutu

PAK'nSAVE Pukekohe

Nigel Ollett

 

PAK'nSAVE Lower Hutt

 

 

 

PAK'nSAVE Whanganui

 

 

 

PAK'nSAVE Pukekohe

 

 

 

PAK'nSAVE Westgate

 

 

Sweet As

PAK'nSAVE Lincoln North

PAK'nSAVE Lower Hutt

Karl Marryatt

 

PAK'nSAVE Westgate

 

 

 

PAK'nSAVE Te Awamutu

 

 

 

PAK'nSAVE Hāwera

 

 

 

PAK'nSAVE Lower Hutt

 

 

Cheap As

PAK'nSAVE Wairau Road

PAK'nSAVE Wairau Road

Quintin Proctor

 

PAK'nSAVE Lower Hutt

 

 

 

PAK'nSAVE Henderson

 

 

 

PAK'nSAVE Lincoln North

 

 

 

PAK'nSAVE Westgate

 

 

Partner of the Year Award

Amanda Hayes, Own Brands

David Gordon, Membership & Property

 

 

Amber Anderson, Membership & Property

 

 

 

Ann Warwick, Merchandise

 

 

 

David Boerson, Membership & Property

 

 

 

David Gordon, Membership & Property

 

 

 

Jarren Fuller-Kaye, Membership & Property

 

 

 

Joan Verhoeven, Commercial Operations

 

 

 

Jocelyn McCallum, Merchandise

 

 

 

John Holmes, Supply Chain

 

 

 

Josh Hobbs, Membership & Property

 

 

 

Maria Simpson, Membership & Property

 

 

 

Michelle Gibbs, Legal

 

 

 

Noreen Cody, Commercial Operations

 

 

 

Paul Beyer, Membership & Property

 

 

 

Simon Henley, Membership & Property

 

 

 

Operations Team, Supply Chain

 

 

New in Brand

 

 

 

New Owner in Brand - 4 Square

Stacey Huston, 4 Square St Heliers

James Crawshaw, 4 Square Hokowhitu

 

 

Sam Waddell, 4 Square Hillcrest

 

 

 

James Crawshaw, 4 Square Hokowhitu

 

 

New Owner in Brand - New World

Damian Langley, New World Warkworth

Damian Langley, New World Warkworth

 

 

Scott Henderson, New World Mangawhai

 

 

 

Fletcher Bellamy, New World Pahiatua

 

 

New Owner in Brand - PAK'n'SAVE

Chris Lamont, PAK'nSAVE Kāpiti

Aaron Scanes, PAK'nSAVE Glen Innes

 

 

Aaron Scanes, PAK'nSAVE Glen Innes

 

 

 

Amanda Elliot, PAK'nSAVE Rotorua

 

 

Store of the Year Awards

 

 

 

Wholesaler of the Year - Gilmours

Gilmours Wellington

Gilmours Mt Roskill

Aaron Kedzlie

 

Gilmours Mt Roskill

 

 

 

Gilmours Hamilton

 

 

Store of the Year - 4 Square

4 Square Wainui Road

4 Square Papamoa Beach

Nick Gordon

 

4 Square Papamoa Beach

 

 

 

4 Square Martinborough

 

 

 

4 Square Balmoral

 

 

 

4 Square Raglan

 

 

Store of the Year - New World

New World Whakatāne

New World Whakatāne

Jeremy Bennett

 

New World Gate Pā

 

 

 

New World Rototuna

 

 

 

New World Papakura

 

 

 

New World Whitby

 

 

Store of the Year - PNS

PAK'nSAVE Wairau Road

PAK'nSAVE Pukekohe

Nigel Ollett

 

PAK'nSAVE Pukekohe

 

 

 

PAK'nSAVE Mt Albert

 

 

 

PAK'nSAVE Kāpiti

 

 

 

PAK'nSAVE Upper Hutt

 

 

Co-op Spirit Award

 

 

 

 

 

Kym Samuels, New World Morrinsville