For nearly eight months, the people of the Hamilton suburb of Nawton have gone without a local supermarket.
That changes next week, when two independent businessmen take over a site vacated last year by Woolworths.
Community worker Neil Tolan said it'll breathe life back into the shopping mall. "It's a real meeting place. It's our village, the place where people connect."
Resident Paula Salisbury is full of admiration for the new operators. "It's an independent supermarket," she said.
"They're people who are not willing to be told that it's impossible."
Those new operators are Manish Thakkar and Rakesh Patel. They've called the business FIFO, meaning "Fresh In Fresh Out."
Thakkar said he decided to take over the store from Woolworths after hearing a clear message from residents: "Having you back in the community, that will be a blessing."
He said many people in Nawton don't own their own cars and want a supermarket nearby.
It was a factor for Patel too. "I was a little nervous before," he said. "But I am confident we can do it."
In a statement to 1News, Woolworths said it had run the Nawton store for 35 years and the decision to close it was not taken lightly. There were several reasons for closing it.
"That included the size of the store, its product range, and ease of parking," the statement said.
It added refrigeration systems were outdated.
The new operators said they have invested in new refrigeration, and are confident they can compete with the big Australian-owned supermarkets on price.
Thakkar said they aim to run at a minimum profit initially, to get the business going.
"We are trying to procure products from various suppliers who can give us a competitive price," he said. Woolworths will also be one supplier.
He added both he and partner Patel have years of experience in retail, and he's confident that business savvy, plus local support, will see them through.
"Within a span of six to eight months we will be very competitive in the market," he said.
That will be a relief to other shops in the Nawton mall.
"Some people were thinking some of us will go belly up," chairperson of the mall's body corporate Sanjay Joshi said.
"But we are a tough nut. We are not going to give up so soon."
Sue Chetwin of the Grocery Action Group said the new business could be a game changer.
"This is fantastic," she said. "It goes to show that some of what the Commerce Commission has put into place might work. Particularly around making wholesale groceries accessible to challengers."
Another concern the new operators may confront is crime.
1News asked Woolworths whether this influenced its decision to quit Nawton. The company did not mention crime in its response, but Joshi told us he had spoken to workers in the former store and they were clear that it was a factor.
Thakkar has appeared in several 1News stories in recent years after some of his other businesses were targeted by robbers. In one incident last year, he was confronted by an offender who pointed a pistol at him.
He was unfazed. "Crime is everywhere at the moment," he said.
He said he and his partner are working with council and with police over security measures, and aim to have their own security guards in store.
The new FIFO store is scheduled to open next Saturday, May 4, at 10am.
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