'NZ's biggest Asian supermarket' opening at Westgate

Author: Anne Gibson,
Publish Date: Tue, 27 Aug 2024, 9:16am

A new $20 million Asian food store will open at Auckland’s Westgate this Thursday, with one of its operators saying it will be New Zealand’s largest supermarket of its type.

Tao Shi is managing director of the new Foodie Asian supermarket which he said is 3800sq m, meaning it is more than a third of a hectare of indoor floor space.

That is approximately the size of a mainstream supermarket, he said. It is near the $100 million-plus Costco Wholesale which is New Zealand’s only outlet by that giant American chain.

Foodie will be open from 8.30am to 8pm at 33-47 Northside Dr and has parking for more than 200 cars.

Tao Shi is managing director of Foodie Asian Supermarket. Photo / Dean Purcell

The new store is near Costco Fuel off Kakano Rd and beside Bargain Chemist Westgate.

Landowner and developer NZ Retail Property Group [NZRPG] built and owns the store which its general manager Campbell Barbour said was a significant addition to Westgate.

Tao Shi said the operating company, Foodie Co, had leased the premises for 30 years, based on an initial 10 years with rights of renewal.

He is a director of Foodie Co, along with NZRPG owner Mark Gunton, fellow businessman Taiquan Wu and John Garelja.

The company was incorporated in 2021 and its registered offices are in Maki St, Westgate.

John Garelja featured in the Herald in 2010 as a strawberry farmer with Massey land. The business, Garelja Bros, was established by his parents moving there in 1962.

Tao Shi said he expects brisk trade at the new Foodie supermarket.

“Through the opening initial eight weeks, we’re expecting around 2500 customer visits per day,” he said.

The store employs 30 staff.

Tao Shi said he had been running a wholesale fresh produce business for the past 12 years. Taiquan Wu had been running an international produce trading business lately.

Tao Shi immigrated to New Zealand from China 20 years ago and Taiquan Wu 21 years ago.

Trolley line-up: all ready to go for the opening this Thursday. Photo / Dean Purcell

They plan to open more Foodie supermarkets throughout Auckland on the North Shore and east Auckland.

“The thing that makes us unique is that this is a really big store and we’re one of a kind. This is a one-stop shop with six in-store vendors which will be the first in New Zealand for an Asian supermarket.

“We have a seafood store which is Oceanz Seafood which is the largest and most well-known brand in the country. They’ve been approached by many in the supermarket industry but this is the first time they’ve agreed to set up in another operator’s store,” he said.

Sauces lined up at the new Asian supermarket Foodie at Westgate. Photo / Dean Purcell

A butchery and Asian bakery selling goods from from birthday cakes to artisan goods, fresh breads and pastries is also in that lineup of six, he said.

A roast duck vendor, a Korean lunch bar and a Chinese deli takeaway shop is also in that group.

Westgate is owned by NZRPG, itself owned by Mark Gunton who founded the big-box retail hub on Auckland’s north-west outskirts.

In 2017, the Herald reported that Gunton is the Crown pastoral leaseholder of northern Southland’s historic 13,777-hectare Argyle Station at Waikaia where he runs 50,000 stock units, including 12,500 ewes, 1250 cows and 3500 red deer hinds.

The Herald visited Foodie on Friday, well before the customers were due to arrive. Photo / Dean Purcell

Deer are farmed for venison and velvet, the farm has an Angus stud operation and Gunton breeds “Romdales” – Perendale-Romney cross sheep – with a manager and up to five staff.

NZ Retail Property Group also owns the North Shore’s Milford Shopping Centre where it opened the $150m Omana North but plans many more.

Two years ago, the Herald reported 42 apartments in the affluent area’s first high-rise residential block had sold for around $2m to $3m each, although prices rise the higher up you go in the block.

All units face north because corridors are on the southwest or Milford Shopping Centre side.

ll up, 90 car parks are provided but stackers allow owners to double basement capacity. The building has two lifts.

It has drawn strong local comment, some people critical of its exterior appearance in an area dominated by low-rise buildings.

But Barbour said green walls have been installed: plants aimed to soften the exterior “and they’ll be allowed to get really big and bushy”.

In March, the Herald reported that Westgate kept dragging in the big names.

Nearly 200 carparks surround the new Foodie at Westgate. Photo / Dean Purcell

From massive data centres to New Zealand’s first Costco, the hub owned by Southland farmer Mark Gunton via his New Zealand Retail Property Group (NZRPG) continues to be a magnet, despite traffic woes which make it somewhat of a Bermuda Triangle of Auckland.

The latest to sign up for new space is Nike. It has shut its store at Onehunga’s Dress Smart and reported last year to be ending online retailing in New Zealand.

Barbour said in March that Nike had leased a 1130sq m store in the original Westgate, more towards Henderson, compared with the newer part of Westgate which is home to Costco – although NZRPG hates people saying the “new” and “old” Westgate.

This new Asian supermarket will be open just over 12 hours a day. Photo / Dean Purcell

The zone where Nike opened has become a hub for sports and lifestyle brands including Puma, Adidas, Under Armour, Converse, Asics, Timberland, New Balance, Sketchers and Platypus.

“Having another global leading brand join us alongside what is already a great lineup of outlet stores is awesome,” Barbour said earlier this year of Nike.

Today, Barbour said Foodie’s arrival was another significant step for Westgate.

The new drive-through fast food lineup at Westgate. Photo / Dean Purcell