Coromandel Four Square

Travel 54km north of Thames along state highway 25 as it winds along the coast past pretty little bays and rocky beaches and you will reach the historical township of Coromandel.

The local Maori originally named the area Waiou, but in 1820 with the arrival of HMSS Coromandel to collect kauri spars, the name Coromandel was given to the town and the peninsula.

The milling and export of kauri was the first industry, but when Charles Ring discovered gold at Driving Creek 3km north of the town in 1852, Coromandel’s character began to change. Many of the buildings built in the 1870s still survive. Gold remained the dominant industry for 34 years with the town’s population peaking at over 10,000 in the 1880s-90s.

Today the permanent population is around 1700 with many ex corporate people opting for a quieter life-style in the tranquil settings the area offers. The area is growing rapidly as a tourist attraction with people passing through the town on the drive round the Coromandel Peninsula. It is also known internationally for the production of marine-farmed green lip mussels for the export market.


The Four Square building situated at 18 Kapanga Road was originally built as a butcher’s shop. The store was converted into a grocery, bakery and confectionery shop around the turn of the century. The store has had few owners since then which indicates the owners love what the area offers from a combined business and lifestyle point of view. In 2001, major renovations were undertaken which included taking over the lease of the premises next door which enabled the shop area to be nearly doubled.

The present owners, Peter and Lesley Pritchard purchased the store in February 2003. Often when they are restocking the store at night, there will be tourists knocking on the door, who having picked up a camper van from Auckland Airport and started driving, are looking to purchase supplies. In the true Four Square spirit, how convenient the store owners are there.



Resource material:
New Zealand Historic Places Trust pamphlet “Coromandel Town”

The household name Four Square emerged in the 1920s out of the Foodstuffs grocery buying co-operative. Foodstuffs’ founder, Mr J Heaton Barker, became concerned at the activities of the grocery chain stores of the day that were making life very difficult for independent grocers in Auckland. On 6th July 1922, Heaton Barker called together members of the Auckland Master Grocers Association to discuss plans for the formation of a co-operative buying group of independent grocers.

On 1st April 1925, this buying group registered a company, Foodstuffs Ltd [later Foodstuffs (Auckland) Ltd], the first of three regional co-operatives based in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, which now form the Foodstuffs group of co-operatives.
The name Four Square emerged when Mr Barker, while talking on the telephone to one of the buying group members on 4th July 1924, drew a square around the 4 of the date on his calendar. He immediately realised he had a suitable name for the buying group, stating that “they would stand ’Four Square’ to all the winds that blew”.

By the end of 1924 products were appearing under the Four Square name, and by 1929, discussions were underway on the use of a common branding on stores. Early versions of the Four Square sign were produced in the form of red and gold hand painted glass panels for display in members’ stores.

In February 1948, New Zealand’s first self-service grocery store was opened in Onehunga by Phil Barker (the son of the founder of the group) and Ray McGregor. This soon became the norm for grocery retailing.

During the 1950’s the Foodstuffs advertising department designed the famous Four Square man who initially appeared only in newspaper advertising and posters, but was developed to become part of the Four Square identity, appearing in every Four Square store and eventually becoming a nationally recognised icon in New Zealand, remaining famous to this day.

Four Square stores continue to serve local communities and towns throughout New Zealand.