Home > News and Events > News > Ashburton now home to Farmlands' fresh new store concept
13 December 2022
Farmlands has just opened a new store in Ashburton, the first in 7 years. The opening of this large ‘concept store’ was celebrated during the weekend 9 – 11 December with appearances by Santa, prize draws and in-store specials.
Tanya Houghton, Chief Executive Officer of Farmlands, says that the innovations that customers will see in the store demonstrate the new direction that Farmlands is taking in how it serves its customers.
“We are proud of our stores and want to provide our customers with a great experience when they visit us.”
“We are providing all the key elements of a Farmlands store, while also widening our focus so that our stores can be community hubs - places where people can both get the things and expertise they need, combined with having a social, interactive experience.”
“Our new store in Ashburton is the first in our network built to reflect the future vision for the Farmlands’ store network. It provides easy access to farming fundamentals such as Nutrition, Grain and Seed, Dairy and Horticulture products and a great layout for other ranges such as clothing and shoes. We also have brand-new concepts such as a pet-wash and the ‘FeedBarn’, which expands the range of nutrition products available to customers.”
Tanya says that the intent is to go back to Farmlands’ origins as a one-stop shop for product, professional services, conversation and lifestyle activities for everyone connected to the land.
“It’s all about delivering great customer service – making sure that Farmlands is a natural place for customers to meet, hang out and get advice.”
“We think our new Ashburton store is an awesome space, one that reflects a future Farmlands. We’ve received really positive feedback from our farmers, growers and lifestyle property owners who’ve already visited the store.”
Since Tanya joined the co-operative in 2021, the organisation has been making changes to better meet the diverse needs of large-scale agribusiness and a growing group of lifestyle customers. These changes include widening product ranges, offering extended trading hours for stores in selected communities and promoting a delivery service that’s available to all customers.
The next store to undergo a customer service transformation will be the Rangiora branch.
“We are well down the track with plans to upgrade our Rangiora store. As in Ashburton, we have started by looking specifically at what everyone connected to the land – farmers, growers and lifestyle property owners – need from their local Farmlands store. We are designing an in-store experience to meet the needs of the Rangiora community,” says Tanya.
“Each of our stores has its own personality, lay-out, products and focus. We’re not taking a one-size-fits-all approach – each store will reflect the unique make-up of our shareholders and customers in each region. For example, in the revamped Rangiora store, we’ll be testing a drive-through Feedbarn.”
The Ashburton store, led by Kane Chambers, was formally introduced to the community during a three-day opening event, which saw Richard Williams win a Can-Am all-terrain vehicle.
Media contact:
Kate Bailey: (Ph.) 027 8818283