Grocers seek injunctions

Press, 10 November 1981, Page 6

Grocers seek injunctions

rive big grocery companies have taken legal action to try to force the early closing of a new wholesale grocery warehouse in Sydenham. The High Court is due to hear an application for an injunction on zoning grounds by the Christchurch City Council but an interim injunction application has also been filed against Fenhall Nominees, Ltd, as landlord, and J. Rattray and Sons, Ltd, as merchant, which runs Countdown Wholesale Warehouse. The action brought by Woolworths (N.Z.), Ltd; City South Supermarket, a subsidiary of G.U.S. Wholesalers, Ltd, which runs the Super Value chain; Wardell-Kin-caids, Ltd; Keystore Wholesale Grocery, Ltd; and Food-stuffs-Christchurch, Ltd, will be heard in the High Court on November 16. The City Council’s application for an injunction will be heard on December 7. An nvonntiurj

Rattray’s, Mr J. A. Veitch, said yesterday that more i than 5000 people had shopped i

at the Sydenham store since it opened last Wednesday. ' Each customer must spend a minimum of $lO. Rattray’s was already considering establishing two similar ventures in Christchurch in addition to. the Countdown stores at Sydenham and "Northlands. “We believe there is a strong demand for this sort of enterprise,” he said. Countdown would certainly have an effect on the city's retail grocery trade because shoppers were becoming more price-conscious.