Luxury commodities to hold up over Christmas period | The National Business Review - New Zealand - business, markets, finance, politics, property, technology and more

Gourmet supermarket Nosh opened its fourth Auckland-based store on Monday in time for the Christmas retail spend-up.

The supermarket stocks mid to upper level product ranges but also shelves items priced comparably with mainstream supermarkets.

Nosh co-owner Clinton Beauvink said the company spent a lot of time sourcing quality products and was particularly strong in the meat and fresh vegetable market. Mr Beauvink said, as a consumer he felt supermarket chains owned by Progressive and New Zealand-owned Foodstuffs did not stock as much variety as they used to.

“The shopping habits of our customers are more around protein and fresh fruit and vegetable. People go to the supermarkets for more commodity type products such as toilet paper and sugar,” he said.

Mr Beauvink said Nosh always traded well over the Christmas period and expected this year to be no different. The company said it performed well last year despite the severe economic conditions that constricted consumerism. “We were pleased with last year’s result, food in general held up better than other industries. We have more stores this year and people for looking for a bit of a break, we think people want to splash out this year and put on a big spread for their families.”

He said consumer demands had changed dramatically over the past two years but with this also come “unique opportunities” for the luxury goods provider.

“There are increased retail properties for lease and sale caused by the downturn in retailing sectors associated with high price discretionary products.

“The move away from eating out, means consumers are spending more on entertaining in their own homes. This is leading to increased sales in retail sectors associated with take home purchases.” He said.

Mr despite this opportunity to sell higher volumes of food for home entertaining, there is still a shortage of skilled candidates in the butchery and seafood sectors of the industry, Mr Beauvink said.

Nosh sells free range and corn feed chicken in its butchery, as well as free-range eggs at the same price as general supermarkets sell barn-produced eggs.

The Wine Vault owner Jayson Bryant said despite conservative consumer spending and a dip in the demand for luxury goods, Nosh would do well. “They’ll probably do pretty well. There isn’t anything there [on Dominion Rd] in their market. People from Mt Eden and Sandringham that usually go to the Ponsonby Nosh will go there instead.”

via nbr.co.nz

Posted via web from The Wine Vault