Supermarket chain, Countdown, has officially launched its redeveloped store in Waiheke.

The new 3490sqm store will have a team of over 100, over 12,000 new product lines, and will open as a plastic shopping bag free supermarket.

“The new store is about 150 per cent larger than the old store, has a massive new range of products at everyday low prices, along with some exciting new features like, sushi, Lotto, and a full service bakery” said Dave Chambers, Countdown’s managing director.

Green MP Denise Roche, who officially opened the store, said there has been a lot of anticipation on the island about the new Countdown supermarket.

“Waiheke locals have been waiting patiently for this new store and no doubt we’ll all really appreciate the upgraded shopping environment. The bigger store also means more jobs; and we’re pleased to see Countdown continuing to be plastic-bag-free at their new premises,” Roche said.

Dave Collo, store manager, said the upgraded store has “all the features you would expect to see, plus a few added extras such as an expansive fresh product department, full production bakery, self-service checkouts, a Lotto counter, and sushi”.

Countdown said the redeveloped store is one of its most sustainable with use of rainwater collected on the store’s roof and the recycling of grey water through an onsite waste water treatment system, which will be redistributed in a native wetland at the back of the site.

Waiheke is also part of Countdown’s Food Rescue programme, which has donated $3.5 million worth of food to food banks around New Zealand in the last year. The store’s opening featured a presentation of a $500 trolley of groceries for the local Waiheke foodbank, which the store works with on a regular basis through the Rescue programme.