Where 120 new Auckland jobs are about to come up: new $73m venture needs staff
This base in Auckland will soon need around 120 staff. Photo / Jason Dorday
Around 120 new jobs will be advertised in the next few weeks in Auckland’s retail sector and some positions are already available.
Many roles won’t require any experience, a business leader says.
Lindsay Rowles, Foodstuffs North Island’s property and retail general manager, said people are now needed for a $73 million new outlet that the business will open this spring.
The business will seek staff for its under-construction New World Pt Chevalier, a spokesman said.
Matt and Nicole Mullins of New World Ōtaki have been appointed owner-operators. They will pay some millions of dollars for fixtures and fittings but no goodwill because the operation has never traded.
Most of the roles will not be advertised until the next few weeks.
People will be able to apply via the Foodstuffs North Island jobs site www.foodstuffs.careers.
Store, fresh foods, dry goods and human resources (HR) manager positions are now being advertised there for Pt Chevalier.
Foodstuffs recruitment specialist Rachel Cusk said it was seeing a high calibre of applicants from all walks of life.
“We’re seeing ... students looking for part-time hours, parents rejoining the workforce and experienced professionals seeking a new challenge.”
Many of the Pt Chevalier roles don’t require previous experience.
“I read thousands of job applications and the best ones show the candidate’s soft skills, so you get a feel for their personality.
“Finding out what they like to do outside of work and how they interact with people can make a CV memorable.”
Leadership and specialist roles are now being advertised then supervisor roles will be advertised mid-June and general staff positions after that.
General staff will be trained around two weeks before the store opens on September 9.
Three phases of recruitment are planned:
- Leadership roles: experienced grocery or retail staff sought;
- Supervisors/second-in-charge and specialist roles: leading teams of up to 10 people by supervisors. Candidates typically bring either supermarket experience or a background in people management. Strong decision-making skills and the ability to perform well under pressure are important. Bakers, butchers and forklift drivers will also be needed;
- General team members: shelf-filling, customer service, online order picking and cleaning tasks. Experience not essential.
Staff will be needed for checkouts, butchery, bakery, delicatessen, storeroom, fresh fruit and vegetables, chilled and frozen areas, to fulfil online orders, packaging and pricing and other roles.
Construction is nearly finished. GN Construction built the four-level building and is now completing fit-out works.
The store is at 1132 Great North Rd.
The owner’s office, security, training and meeting areas, lockers, bathrooms and staff area are on a mezzanine floor.
Foodstuffs North Island employs about 24,000 people while Foodstuffs South Island employs about 14,000, a spokesman said.
The retail sector is one of this country’s largest employers.
The Herald‘s Liam Dann reported Stats NZ data out in February for the last quarter of 2024.
That showed that unemployment had risen to 5.1%, with 33,000 more people jobless, totalling 156,000 in 2024.
Youth unemployment is high, with 23% for ages 15-19, and Māori youth at 19%.
Construction and manufacturing were hit hard, with males, particularly young Māori and Pacific men, most affected.
The Herald reported last November that Ikea needed 400 Auckland staff and would be recruiting from early this year.
Staff were needed for the showrooms, restaurant, in interior design, visual merchandising, display, management and the warehouse so Ikea can open later this year on Clemow Dr, Mt Wellington beside Sylvia Park.
Ikea also employed staff for its new warehouse at The Landing near Auckland Airport.
New World Pt Chevalier
- 1132 Great North Rd, opposite McDonald’s, access off Parr Rd North;
- Built on ex-RSA site, sold for about $10m;
- New store is $73m investment by Foodstuffs North Island;
- On a 7142sq m site beside the vacant Magnum Motors;
- Store: 2752sq m, just under a third of a hectare;
- Second level offices: 2000sq m designed for RSA, now for lease;
- Eight self-scanning checkouts, six staffed checkouts;
- 105 shopper car parks mainly in basement but also at front;
- Store owner/operator Matt and Nicole Mullins, New World Ōtaki, Kāpiti Coast;
- 4m double-height store internal stud with mezanine floor;
- Total building height: four levels or approximately 12m;
- 140 concrete bored piles sunk 15m to 32m below ground;
- Built by GN Construction, its first Foodstuffs North Island contract;
- Designed by Wingate Architects;
- Staff: 120 fulltime-equivalents (FTEs), employed in three waves;
- Separate standalone 147sq m shop at front of site for lease;
- Shopper visits anticipated: around 12,000/week;
- Opening: September 9.
Anne Gibson has been the Herald‘s property editor for 25 years, written books and covered property extensively here and overseas.