User Contributed Dictionary
Noun
foodstuffs- Plural of foodstuff
Extensive Definition
- For the commodity, see food
Despite its phenomenal growth, Foodstuffs remains
100% New Zealand owned and operated with all profits and taxes
remaining in New Zealand.
Foodstuffs franchises three supermarket
chains:
New World is a full service supermarket operating
in key sites in towns across the country. Pak'n Save is a food
warehouse discounter. Four Square is a chain of convenience stores
operating in communities through the country.
Other franchises
On the Spot are a chain of dairys
which operate in the South Island. Foodstuffs also operate a
wholesale operations Gilmours in the North of the North Island,
Toops in the lower North Island and Trents in the South
Island.
All the Foodstuffs stores stock branded products
as well as their own Pam's and Budget private
label products.
Foodstuffs is a 25% partner in Loyalty New
Zealand Limited, the operator of Fly
Buys in New Zealand, and provides benefits to customers through
it.
Foodstuffs has recently managed to buy a 10%
share of New Zealand's largest retailer, The
Warehouse.
History
The first Foodstuffs co-operative was formed in
Auckland in 1922. On 6 July 1922, Foodstuffs founder J Heaton
Barker called together members of the Auckland Master Grocers'
Association to discuss plans for the formation of a co-operative
buying group. The buying group expanded in 1925 with the
introduction of Four Square branding on members' stores. Similar
co-operatives were set up in other parts of the country, with
Wellington commencing also in 1922, Christchurch in 1928 and
Dunedin in 1948. Initially the buying groups traded under different
names but in 1935, the name Foodstuffs was applied to all the
original co-operatives.
There have been various mergers between the small
regional co-operatives, and today there are now three co-operative
companies: Foodstuffs (Auckland) Ltd; Foodstuffs (Wellington)
Co-operative Society. Ltd, and Foodstuffs South Island Ltd. Each
operates independently and autonomously with its own Board of
Directors, Chief Executive Officer and management structure. There
are no common members or shareholders.
The organisation has continued to evolve,
adopting supermarkets early in their evolution with the formation
of the New World group in 1963. The PAK'nSAVE group evolved later
and the first store was opened in Kaitaia in 1986.