Woolworths as supermarkets

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32462, 24 November 1970, Page 3

Woolworths as supermarkets

The aim of’ Woolworths (New Zealand), Ltd, was to convert all its suburban stores to the supermarket checkout system; and the stores at Bishopdale, Hornby, Sydenham and New Brighton would be altered to that system by the middle of next year, said the New Zealand manager for Woolworths (Mr J. D. Liddle) in Christchurch yesterday. ’ All • the company’s city stores in New Zealand would be converted to .the “cashwrap” system, Mr Liddle said. • “We want to get away from the flat counter with girls behind them image. Cash and wrap points will be set up in the city stores. Modern display equipment, with the softgoods on hangers, will be introduced. “The suburban stores will be supermarkets with everything the family wants, and they will provide lots of easy parking. “The suburban stores will concentrate more on foods,” Mr Liddle said. He said that Woolworths stores in Hamilton and Dunedin had already been converted to the cash-wrap system. A site for a new store, a supermarket of 20,000 sq. ft, had been acquired in Church Street, Timaru. Woolwdrths had bought a frock shop next door to its store in High Street, Christchurch, and would establish a garden “greenhouse” in it. His company had 80 stores in New Zealand and employed 3100 permanent staff, said Mr Liddle. About 50 managers would attend the annual meeting for managers (outside Auckland) now being held for the first time in Christchurch.

The company had just inaugurated the 25-Year-Club for employees of long service. There would be 460 employees, including those retired, in the club in Australia and New Zealand—llB, or more than 25 per cent, being from New Zealand. Mr Liddle said that the company placed great emphasis on accuracy in its cashiers at check-out points, and ran a competition among all the girls and women thus employed in New Zealand. Speed also counted, but one error put a girl out. The winner was sent to Australia to compete against the top check-out girl there. “More than 50 per cent of New Zealanders are aged under 25. The young housewife does not want to spend a lot of time in stores. The cash-wrap and check-out systems allow speedier shopping,” he said.