“To finally open a flagship store in Pāpāmoa is a dream come true, not just for us, but for the whole community.

“They’ve been waiting a long time, and we’re here to deliver a store that’s built for the future.”

Having previously led the overhaul of New World Newton, he said he was ready for the new challenge in Pāpāmoa.

The Troup-Paul family - Arabella, 2, George, 8, Mark, Madeline, 5, and Charlotte - are the owner-operators of New World The Sands.

He said the 3100sq m store was one of the biggest in the area and had worked with local farmers, growers, and artisans for a focus on serving fresh, local produce.

“This isn’t about stocking shelves, it’s about building relationships with the people who make Pāpāmoa special and bringing that straight to our customers,” Troup-Paul said.

The New World was designed to grow alongside the Pāpāmoa community, which had several developments on the horizon, including future stages of The Sands town centre.

The supermarket opened with 100 jobs and could expand in the future to employ up to 200 locals.

Inside the newly opened New World The Sands supermarket.

“We had over 600 applicants just for checkout roles. The community really wanted this, and we’re excited to give them a store that’s befitting of Pāpāmoa’s growth,” said Troup-Paul.

It has 149 carparks, six staff-operated checkouts and eight self-scan checkouts.

The opening comes after a $10.5 million investment from Foodstuffs North Island, the regional co-operative of local grocers behind the North Island’s New World, Pak’nSave and Four Square stores.

Chris Quin, chief executive of Foodstuffs North Island, said in the statement he was proud to offer Pāpāmoa residents the choice to shop at a local, family-owned New World.

He said as part of New Zealand’s only locally-owned major grocery retailer, the supermarket would compete hard against competitors to offer the best value, quality and convenience.

Mahé Drysdale, Mayor of Tauranga with Mark Troup-Paul, owner-operator of New World The Sands, Mark's children Madeline, 5, and George, 8, and Chris Quin, chief executive of Foodstuffs North Island.

The Pāpāmoa supermarket is the fifth store that has opened for Foodstuffs North Island in 2024, following New World Havelock North in July, Four Square Huntly in August and Four Square Snells Beach and New World Mt Albert in October.

Foodstuffs has Pak’nSave and Four Square stores in Pāpāmoa, which also hosts a Woolworths and Fresh Choice.

The first stage of The Sands town centre, on the corner of Stevenson Drive and The Boulevard, also includes an Anytime Fitness gym and a food precinct.

Future stages would include retail and commercial developments, a health hub, community facilities, home improvement centres, increased hospitality offerings, hotels and accommodation, and government services.

It is part of the Golden Sands residential development by Bluehaven Group. Chief executive Nathan York previously said 115,000 people lived within 20 minutes of The Sands and that number was forecast to grow by over 25% in the next decade.

Bay of Plenty MP Tom Rutherford said the opening of stage one of The Sands town centre marked a significant milestone in Pāpāmoa East’s development.

“I’ve watched this project take shape and know what a game-changer it will be for our area,” Rutherford said in a statement.

“This is just the beginning of what promises to be a vibrant community hub.”

New World The Sands is open daily from 7am to 9pm.

Kaitlyn Morrell is a multimedia journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has lived in the region for several years and studied journalism at Massey University.