Foodtown

:"This article is about the New Zealand supermarket, not the Foodtown (USA) supermarket cooperative or the Houston, Texas store."Infobox Company
name = Foodtown

type = Subsidiary
foundation = 1958
founder =
location_city = Auckland
location_country = New Zealand
locations = 31 (2008) [cite web|url=http://www.progressive.co.nz/about_us/index.asp|title=Fact file|publisher=Progressive Enterprises|accessdate=2008-06-14]
area_served =
key_people =
industry = Retail
products =
services =
market c

revenue =
operating_income =
net_income =
assets =
equity =
owner =
num_employees =
parent = Progressive Enterprises
divisions =
subsid =
homepage = [http://www.foodtown.co.nz/ www.foodtown.co.nz]
intl = yes

Foodtown is a New Zealand supermarket chain owned by Progressive Enterprises. The supermarkets usually tend to be integrated with a shopping mall, and not as stand-alone shops.

History

"1958 - 1961" Foodtown Supermarkets Limited

On June 18, 1958 the first Foodtown supermarket of 1400sq meters was opened on a 1.1 hectare site at Otahuhu. Tom Ah Chee, Norman Kent and John Brown sold their small businesses and pooled their resourses to personally build and supervise construction of New Zealand's first American style supermarket. The Otahuhu market proved a success and a second Foodtown was built and opened in Takanini, South Auckland in 1961.

"1961 - 1988" Progressive Enterprises

In 1961 the company was restructured when the Picot family joined the business. Their family company Progressive Enterprises contributed an equal amount of capital to that accumulated by the three original partners and became the parent company to Foodtown Supermarkets Limited.

"1988 - 1992" Coles Myer Limited

In March 1988 Progressive Enterprises became part of the Australian company Coles Myer. During this time it saw the expansion of the Foodtown chain to areas outside Auckland (Hamilton, Wellington, Tauranga, Palmerston North and Wanganui) and also saw greater expansion within the wider Auckland area.

"1992 - 1994 " Progressive Enterprises - Public Company

In April 1992 Coles Myer relaunched Progressive Enterprises onto the New Zealand stock exchange as a public company. During this time no new Foodtown Supermarkets were opened.

"1993 - 2005 " Progressive Enterprises - Foodland Associated Limited (FAL)

In October 1993 Foodland Associated Limited (FAL) brought the majority shareholding from Coles Myer and shortly after brought all remaining public shares and delisted Progressive from the New Zealand stock exchange. With this purchase Progressive Enterprises became the parent company for a number of FAL brands. Progressive Enterprises consisted of: Foodtown Supermarkets, Countdown, 3 Guys, Georgie Pie Restaurants, Rattrays and Supervalue.

On June 17, 2002 Progressive Enterprises Ltd bought Woolworths (NZ) Ltd from Hong Kong based owners Dairy Farm Group. The sale saw Progressive's supermarket brands Foodtown, Countdown, 3 Guys, SuperValue and FreshChoice joined by Woolworths, Big Fresh and Price Chopper. As a result PEL increased it's share of the NZ grocery market to approximately 45%.

Foodtown was the first Supermarket in New Zealand to launch a loyalty card called the "Foodtown Card" which offered exclusive discounts and competitions to cardholders this was then renamed in 2003 after the merger of Progressive and Woolworths (NZ) Ltd and was call the "Foodtown Woolworths onecard"

"2005 - present " Progressive Enterprises - Woolworths Limited

On November 24, 2005 Australian company Woolworths Limited purchased Progressive Enterprises Limited from Foodland Associated Limited.

In October 2006, Progressive Enterprises announced a Discount Fuel Scheme with Gull Petroleum and Shell to offer discounts on petrol when shoppers spend $40 or more in their Woolworths, Foodtown or Countdown Stores. This scheme is similar to the one their Parent company Woolworths Limited offers in Australia.

Operations

There are currently 31 Foodtown supermarkets all operating within Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga.

Auckland Stores: Airport, Auckland City, Blockhouse Bay, Browns Bay, Glenfield, Grey Lynn, Highland Park, Howick, Kelston, Lynnmall, Mairangi Bay, Mangere, Manukau, Meadowbank, Mt Eden, Newmarket, Onehunga, Pakuranga, Papatoetoe, Pukekohe, St Lukes, Sunnynook*, Sylvia Park, Takanini, Takapuna, Te Atatu South, Three Kings, Whangaparaoa

Hamilton Stores: Chartwell, Hamilton Central

Tauranga Stores: Tauranga

* The Sunnynook store is currently being converted to a Countdown

Outside of Auckland many Foodtowns have been replaced by either adjacent Woolworths or Countdown stores (Such as Queensgate, Lower Hutt) or simply been converted (For example in Palmerston North).

There is still a Foodtown at Hataitai in Wellington.

Private Label brands

* Woolworths Select
* Woolworths Home Brand
* Woolworths Naytura
* Woolworths Freefrom
* Woolworths Essentials
* Signature Range

Previous Private Label brands

*Basics - Replaced by Homebrand in 2005

ee also

* Woolworths
* Countdown
* Woolworths @ Gull
* Woolworths Limited
* Progressive Enterprises
* Woolworths Supermarkets Australia
* Big Fresh
* Price Chopper

References

External links

* [http://www.foodtown.co.nz/ Foodtown's Website]
* [http://www.progressive.co.nz/ Progressive Enterprises Ltd]