Opening celebrations set to sizzle

When the new Warehouse and Warehouse Stationery store opens to the public this Thursday, May 25, manager Neville Renney will be there to welcome the first customers through the doors.

“We’re really looking forward to showing off this modern, new store to the community,” he says. “We’re promising a better shopping experience and I don’t think people will be disappointed.”

As well as a warm welcome, those early shoppers will receive a free coffee and a goody bag.

The opening will be celebrated over four days with different opening specials, in both the Warehouse and the adjoining Noel Leeming, on each of the four days.

From Thursday through to Sunday, four local community groups will hold sausage sizzle fundraisers outside the store – Kawau Coastguard, Springboard, the Warkworth Lions Club and Warkworth Scouts. The Warehouse will be matching funds raised across the four days.

It has been a busy few weeks for Renney and his team since the Snells Beach store closed and their focus shifted to Warkworth.

Renney joined The Warehouse in Napier in 2016 as an assistant manager and has worked in Taupo and Dargaville before shifting to Snells Beach as manager, ahead of the Warkworth opening. He lives at Kaipara Flats with his wife Lauren and two daughters who attend Horizon School.

He says it is a privilege to be in charge of the new store, which is 100sqm larger than Snells Beach. This means more room for stock and a more efficient shopping experience.

“There will be full range of products across both The Warehouse and Warehouse Stationery, including a standalone copy centre, garden centre, changing bulk ranges and a full selection of The Warehouse’s own Market Kitchen pantry range,” he says.

There are four self-serve kiosks, as well as two manual checkouts, and two service points. All signage is in both English and Te Reo.

Fifty staff will work across both The Warehouse and Warehouse Stationery. There will be many familiar faces from Snells Beach, including Bruce Shepherd and Jennifer Walsh, who opened the Snells Beach store 19 years ago.

Renney says the modern staff facilities have been designed to make the team feel valued and the environmental considerations in the design of the building are being reflected in its operation.

As well as offering soft plastic recycling for customers, the store is recycling all cardboard, and rainwater is being captured for use in the garden centre. There is also an ink and toner refilling service.

The carpark, which will eventually be shaded by puriri trees, includes more than 400 car spaces, plus bike racks and mobility scooter parking. The plan allows for seven EV charging bays, which should be in place later this year.

Security has also been a consideration –the store has a one way in and one way out system, as well as spider tags and soft tags, and 55 monitored security cameras.

Renney says there will be some great opening specials from Thursday onwards and he is expecting a fun few days ahead.

“Please come in and say hello.”

Soft plastic disposal

The Warehouse Warkworth will the 40th store in the chain to offer soft plastics recycling, as part of The Packaging Forum’s Soft Plastic Recycling Scheme. Customers can collect their soft plastics at home, bring them into the store, and drop them into the bins provided. More than 60 tonnes of soft plastic waste was recycled through the scheme in the last financial year. Once collected, the plastic is sent to Future Post and recycled into a range of items including fence posts for agriculture and farming.