Golden Apple has officially taken over the lease of the former Woolworths site in the southwestern Auckland neighbourhood of Blockhouse Bay. Photo: RNZ / Elliott Samuels
Asian supermarket Golden Apple is set to open its third store in Auckland next year, taking over a former Woolworths site in Blockhouse Bay.
Woolworths announced in April that it would close its Blockhouse Bay and Māngere outlets later in the year on the back of tenancy periods ending, weakening customer demand and mounting economic pressures.
Following the closure of Woolworths' Blockhouse Bay store in November, Golden Apple confirmed it officially took over the lease of the site on 1 December.
William Zhong, manager of Golden Apple, said the new store would be a well-placed addition to the local retail landscape.
"It's a densely populated residential area," he said. "There was only one Woolworths supermarket and there's a New World nearby, but there's still a shortage of Asian supermarkets."
"Auckland is a diverse place," he said. "So having an Asian supermarket here is a natural fit and a real benefit for local residents."
According to Stats NZ, Blockhouse Bay's estimated residential population reached 14,650 in June this year.
The 2023 Census showed that almost 56 percent of Blockhouse Bay residents claimed Asian heritage.
Thirty-four percent of residents in the area claimed European descent, with a further 11 percent claiming Pasifika heritage and 6 percent Māori.
Zhong said Golden Apple's core customer base was predominantly Asian, with Chinese shoppers comprising the largest share.
He said the new store would stock a broader mix of products - including Chinese, Indian and European items - to reflect the area's diverse population.
He said work over the coming months would involve fit-outs, renovations and new equipment purchases to transform the former Woolworths site into a fully functioning Asian supermarket.
The project was expected to cost around $6 million, he said.
Golden Apple's Henderson store. Photo: Supplied
Golden Apple is among Auckland's fastest-growing Asian supermarket chains.
The sector has expanded rapidly since last year.
Foodie, described by the Commerce Commission as New Zealand's "largest one-stop Asian supermarket", opened with great fanfare in Westgate in August 2024.
Around the same time, Asian supermarket chain Tai Ping opened a new branch in Henderson.
Lian Hua then launched its flagship store on the North Shore in November last year, followed by the opening of Medol in Mt Wellington in June.
Golden Apple's Blockhouse Bay store will be the supermarket chain's third.
The company opened its first outlet in Henderson in 2015 and a second on the North Shore in 2023.
The Commerce Commission's 2024 Annual Grocery Report found that Auckland's leading supermarket chains held 71 percent of the city's grocery market, compared with 88 percent in the rest of the country.
A Commerce Commission spokesperson said Auckland continued to be a hub for the entry and expansion of specialist grocery retailers.
Leading supermarket chains have a significantly lower market share in Auckland than elsewhere, partly due to the presence of more specialist grocery retailers, like Asian stores, the spokesperson said, which was creating higher levels of competition and offering consumers more choice.
Zhong said the Blockhouse Bay store would continue Golden Apple's strategy of offering high-quality products at affordable prices.
The supermarket is expected to open in August next year.