Paramount Principles

We are successful as a co-op because our owner operators work in the best interest of the co-op and the future generations of grocers to come. This is articulated in our ‘paramount principles’:

• The co-op is an organisation of independent Grocers owning and operating their own business and working together for their mutual benefit and the benefit of the co-op.
• The co-op is the guardian of the co-op Principles and has the responsibility to preserve, protect, perpetuate, and promote the co-op and its assets for the mutual benefit of the shareholders and future shareholders.
• Shareholders are caretakers of the co-op and its assets. They have a responsibility to hand them on, to enable future generations of independent Grocers to trade cooperatively, just as those that have gone before, have enabled them to trade.

The pathway to Ownership has two key phases:

• Phase 1 – Owner Operator Development Pipeline
• Phase 2 – Endorsement for Ownership

Whether you are interested in owning a Four Square, Raeward Fresh, New World or PAK’nSAVE, when you initially apply, you are applying to enter the Owner Operator Development Pipeline.

There are a set number of spaces available in the pipeline for each retail brand. Therefore, entry to the pipeline is governed by the availability of space within the pipeline, and also your readiness/suitability for the pipeline.

To gauge your readiness, we have a set of criteria that can be found in the pre-application checklist.

You should use this checklist to assess your suitability and readiness to apply. If you still have gaps against the criteria, you now have some clear goals to achieve before talking to us about applying.

In particular, this will be the case if you haven’t worked in the Grocery Retail industry before. Having the right experience is essential for being a successful Owner Operator and as such, our recommendation will always be for you to find an in-store role to build your experience before you apply. And, preferably, this role would be in a Foodstuffs branded store.

If you feel like you meet all the criteria, then you’ll be ready to get in touch for an informal, pre-application interview with a member of the Foodstuffs South Island leadership team.

Informal, Pre-Application Interview

This is your opportunity to have an informal interview with a member in the FSSI Retail team and discuss the expectations and reality of being an Owner Operator in our co-op. It is also the chance to review your achievement of the pre-requisites. This discussion allows you and Foodstuffs to get to know each other and understand if the timing is right for an application.

If you are ready to have a chat about applying please email [email protected] and tell us which type of store you are interested in owning

Application

If the timing is right, the FSSI Retail leader you meet with will arrange for an application link to be emailed to you. The application process comprises an online questionnaire, a police check, credit/finance check, psychometric assessment, and reference interview.

The information gathered during this process, along with the pre-application Interview will inform the decision about your entry to the Owner Operator Development Pipeline.

Phase 1 - Development Pipeline

If your application is successful, the owner operator Development Pipeline is where you will spend the majority of your time. During this stage, you will complete additional cognitive assessments and take part in development discussions, with the view to creating a personalised development plan.

The time in the pipeline (potentially 18 to 36 months) is critical, as it gives you the opportunity to keep building your knowledge, skill set, and network, so that you are in the best possible position to be successful during the Endorsement for Ownership phase.

Once you can demonstrate that the required progress has been made and your development plan has been satisfactorily completed, you will remain in the pipeline until you are invited to move into the Endorsement for Ownership stage.

Phase 2 - Endorsement for Ownership

The Endorsement for Ownership phase is where the decision about a candidate becoming an Owner is made. It consists of a series of assessments and interviews that allow our Senior Leadership team and Board to get to know the candidate and ultimately make a decision on ownership.

It is possible for a candidate to be declined at any of the stages within the Endorsement for Ownership phase.

Approved Applicants

If you are successful and are endorsed for store ownership, then you become an Approved Applicant.

As an Approved Applicant you will have the ability to apply to purchase a store when one becomes available. During this time, you will continue to be supported and given opportunities to get yourself ready for the day you get the keys to your first store.