44 | Te Puna 4 Square: AHS Group 45B Duke Street, Frankton, Hamilton Ph: 07 846 1995 www.modernconstruction.co.nz Modern Construction are proud to support Te Puna 4 Square Total Residential & Commercial Door Solutions Bay of Plenty and Waikato Wide Specialising in Wooden Interior Doors, Pre-hung Doors, Cavity Sliders, Exterior Doors, Barn Doors, Door Hardware and Accessories, Wardrobe Systems and House Lots. Contact us: info@totaldoorsystems.co.nz www.totaldoorsystems.co.nz REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT A boost for Te Puna The new store is on track to open mid year. T T Anne Boswell A long-held dream is nearing reality for the owners of Four Square Te Puna, with a brand-new, purpose-built store set to transform the way locals shop. Pritesh and Dipti Bhikha have owned and operated the store for almost 17 years, and have become a familiar and trusted part of the Te Puna community. Over that time, both the business and the surrounding area have seen significant growth – but the original 142sqm store has struggled to keep up. “After years of contemplating an expansion, we made the decision to design and build a brand-new store on the property, demolishing the original store to make way for more car parking,” Pritesh says. Designed and built by AHS Group, the new store will cover a massive 600sqm. The retail area alone will be three times larger than that of the current shop, allowing for a significantly expanded product range and a more spacious shopping experience. The larger store will house an extended produce section and deli, and a dedicated butchery providing fresh meat. It will also address a longstanding gap in local food options, with ready-to-go food options, such as chicken and chips, quality coffee and fresh sandwiches. The new store is on track to open in midJune, with the overall project wrapping up in July once the existing building is demolished, and additional car parking is completed. Four Square Te Puna has long had a reputation for putting its community first. At the request of their customers, the Bhikhas have, over time, added more products to their shelves, including a selection of gluten-free and specialty products to cater for changing dietary requirements. For Dipti, the new store is about more than additional floor space – it’s about meeting the needs of the community that has supported them for nearly two decades. “The community has given us the confidence to go bigger,” she says. “Until now, the store has been a ‘top-up store’, and customers still had to do their grocery shopping elsewhere. Come June, they will be able to do most of their grocery shopping here.” Dipti says the benefits of the larger store extend beyond convenience. With rising fuel prices and increasing traffic into nearby Tauranga, the new store will help locals save both time and money by reducing the need for frequent trips into the city. Local design-and-build company AHS Group has guided the Bhikhas through the building process from concept through to construction, and Dipti credits the team with helping navigate what was a lengthy resource consent process. “They have been with us since the beginning,” she says. “They have been good to deal with, and the build is coming along nicely.”
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=