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Countdown is a New Zealand full-service supermarket chain and subsidiary of Progressive Enterprises. It is the largest single supermarket chain in New Zealand in terms of number of stores, though the Four Square chain owned by co-operative rival Foodstuffs - with operations mainly as grocery stores or smaller supermarkets in rural communities - is larger, with 275 franchised shops. == History == In May 1981, the first Countdown market opened at Northlands Mall in Papanui, Christchurch. This business was established by Rattrays Wholesale. The Rattrays Wholesale Group included the Rattrays Cash and Carry warehouses, tobacco vans, now known as the Red Arrow Distributors fleet and also included the SuperValue group of franchised supermarkets and now operating as SuperValue/FreshChoice. In 2006, Foodland Associated Limited (FAL) Australia, purchased the Countdown/Rattrays business. This acquisition was then followed by gaining a majority share holding in Progressive Enterprises Limited, including General Distributors Limited, trading as the Foodtown. In October 1993, Foodland Associated Limited (FAL) bought the majority shareholding in Progressive Enterprises from Coles Myer and, shortly after, bought all remaining public shares and delisted Progressive from the New Zealand stock exchange. With this purchase, Progressive Enterprises became the parent company for a number of FAL brands. Progressive Enterprises consisted of Foodtown Supermarkets, Countdown, Georgie Pie, Rattrays and Supervalue. On 17 June 2002, Progressive Enterprises Ltd bought Woolworths (NZ) Ltd from Hong Kong-based owners Dairy Farm Group. The sale saw Progressive's supermarket brands Foodtown, Countdown, 3 Guys, SuperValue and FreshChoice joined by Woolworths, Big Fresh and Price Chopper. As a result, PEL increased its share of the NZ grocery market to approximately 45%. In 2003 Progressive closed its Auckland and Christchurch distribution centers and rehired the redundant workers. During the period of 1993-2005, Countdown changed from a foodmarket type format offering mainly groceries to a "full service discount supermarket". The stores vary in size due to the consolidation of brands after the merger with Woolworths (NZ) Ltd. A number of Big Fresh, Price Chopper and 3 Guys stores were rebranded to Countdown stores during after this merger. On 24 November 2005, Australian company Woolworths Limited purchased Progressive Enterprises Limited from Foodland Associated Limited. In October 2006, Progressive Enterprises announced a discount fuel scheme with Gull Petroleum and Shell to offer discounts on petrol when shoppers spend $40 or more in their Woolworths, Foodtown or Countdown stores. This scheme was similar to the one their parent company Woolworths Limited offered in Australia. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission investigated〔(【引用サイトリンク】work=Australian Competition and Consumer Commission )〕 whether this activity was anti-competitive, the result of which was an undertaking by the parent company to change its methods of offering fuel discounts in Australia. Foodstuffs stores in New Zealand also offered fuel discounts at BP and their own New World and Pak'nSave fuel sites. In July 2008, Onecard, which could previously only be used at Woolworths and Foodtown, was extended to Countdown. In September 2009, Progressive Enterprises announced it would re-brand all its Foodtown and Woolworths stores to Countdown as stores were refurbished. The final Foodtown and Woolworths to re-brand were Browns Bay and Meadowlands respectively, both on 14 November 2011. A single Woolworths outlet continues to operate at Mount Maunganui's Bayfair Shopping Centre.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.bayfair.co.nz/Our-Stores/Woolworths.aspx )〕 The store was not rebranded because a Countdown already existed at the centre.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.bayfair.co.nz/Our-Stores/Countdown.aspx )〕 The suburb of Johnsonville, Wellington and the City of Upper Hutt, in Northern Wellington Region, both have two Countdown stores less than apart - the result of one pre-existing Countdown store and one larger rebranded Woolworths store. Both stores stock a similar range of products and have both been updated to the new branding. The same situation occurs in Napier whereby there are two Countdown Stores directly across the road from each other. On 10 December 2012, Countdown launches its first Countdown branded in-store Pharmacy.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=First Countdown pharmacy opens )〕 On 3 November 2014, Countdown began selling low-cost life and travel insurance through a deal with insurance giant Cigna.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Countdown checks out insurance opportunity )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Countdown (supermarket)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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