Foodstuffs North Island (FSNI) is stepping up to support small, local suppliers affected by the recent fire at New World Victoria Park, a store known for championing innovative and locally produced products.
The fire, which broke out on Tuesday 17 June, has severely limited access to the building while fire investigators continue their work. Once investigations are complete, specialists will enter the site to determine what is required to make the building safe for the clean-up phase to begin.
In the meantime, FSNI is focused on supporting those impacted by the fire, including small-scale suppliers who sold their products through the store.
“This store was a passionate supporter of emerging and local suppliers,” said Foodstuffs North Island CEO Chris Quin. “It had a real farmers’ market feel, and the customers who shopped there were genuinely curious and open to discovering new things. For many of these suppliers, Victoria Park was a significant part of their business – in some cases, the biggest outlet they had.”
Around 70 small local suppliers were ranged at the store. Typically, these suppliers sell their products in 20 or fewer stores in the Foodstuffs network of New World, PAK’nSAVE and Four Square stores. Many small suppliers were part of Foodstuffs’ Emerging Supplier Programme, which provides guidance and support to local businesses getting started in grocery.
To help get these suppliers back on their feet and their products in front of customers again, Foodstuffs will host a dedicated event this Friday. The gathering will bring together around 45 affected suppliers and local Foodstuffs store owners from the wider Auckland area who may be able to range their products.
“We’re effectively bringing the store to them,” said Quin. “Rather than expect these suppliers to go door-to-door, we’re creating a space where they can meet a number of potential new stockists all at once. If there’s something we can do to support them, we’re going to do it.”
Quin said Foodstuffs is working closely with small suppliers impacted by the fire to understand their individual circumstances and provide support where it’s needed.
“We know this has had a real impact, and we’re committed to doing the right thing by our suppliers. Supporting local producers is part of our DNA as a 100% locally owned co-operative, and we’ll be doing what we can to help them get through this challenging time.”
