Around 90 people have lost their jobs after a North Canterbury supermarket was found to have suffered irreparable damage in Saturday's 7.1 magnitude earthquake.
New World Kaiapoi will take at least a year to rebuild, leaving 34 full-time and 52 part-time staff without work.
"We are very distressed that the damage to the supermarket has meant we are unable to re-open and we are doing everything we can to help all of those affected," Foodstuffs chief executive Steve Anderson said.
All staff would receive full pay for two months, access to a specialist business advisor and counsellors, as well as a grocery voucher worth $500 for full-time and $250 for part-time staff.
Bev Wyatt has worked at the supermarket for four years and has been helping with the clean-up, but says the damage is clear.
“It was just unsafe; you couldn’t work in it because we were in the middle of renovations to have a really nice shop,” she says.
Mr Anderson also said he was committed to finding the workers positions at other supermarkets.
NZPA / RadioLIVE