Noah doesn’t want to just work at PAK’nSAVE. He wants to own one.
Ask a group of children what they want to be when they grow up, and you’ll get a wide array of responses.
When Variety – the Children’s Charity – posed that question to 200 tamariki living in financial hardship recently, the children’s charity heard from kids determined to become everything from doctors, engineers and bus drivers to All Blacks, astronauts and teachers.
But one response, from 11-year-old Auckland schoolboy and budding entrepreneur Noah, stood out. His dream was not just to work in, but to own and operate his own PAK’nSAVE supermarket.
While it might seem like an unlikely ambition for someone so young, it’s an aspiration Noah has had for well over a year.
He’s been sharpening his business acumen in preparation, running side hustles at school selling stickers and pre-loved goods that have earned him hundreds of dollars.
His proud father says Noah’s entrepreneurial spirit has been obvious for some time.
“He’s an all-rounder,” beams Sione. “He’s active, intelligent, calm – he’s a cool boy.
“Early last year Noah mentioned he wanted his own business, but wasn’t sure what that looked like. Then he wrote to one of his sponsors through Variety and said he wanted to own his own PAK’nSAVE. We thought, ‘wow, that’s actually quite cool!’”
PAK’nSAVE has supported Variety for more than five years, helping families through tough times with food access and gift cards, and giving back $4.2 million to charities and not-for-profits last year as part of its HereforNZ commitment.
When word reached the team about Noah’s dream, they arranged a behind-the-scenes tour of his local Auckland store with owner Peter Lynch.
“Most 11 or 12-year-old kids want to be a fireman, a policeman or a Black Fern,” said Lynch. “It made me laugh hearing of a young man wanting to be a supermarket owner.
“I was more than keen to have him come into the store.”
Now, Noah cites Lynch as his role model. And the respect is mutual.
“He was a quiet, thoughtful young man who asked good questions and was genuinely interested in what we were talking about,” said Lynch.
“Even if he doesn’t end up being a supermarket owner, the fact he’s got ambition and aspiration sets him up for whatever he’s going to do.”
On the tour, Noah got a behind-the-scenes look at the scale of work involved in running a 24-hour supermarket operation.
“It was cool,” said Noah. “I saw lots of stuff I haven’t seen when shopping with my parents.
“I saw trucks come in and get unpacked. When I went to the bakery, I thought they just ordered everything in, but they actually bake it.”
Some roles appealed more than others. Noah was more interested in working the checkout than the butchery and less enthusiastic about the early starts.
“Our bakers turn up from about 3am and the butchers at 5am,” said Lynch. “Noah didn’t seem so keen when we talked about the team who work through the night. I think he’s still very fond of his bed!”
That wasn’t enough to put him off.
If anything, the experience reaffirmed Noah’s dream, says Sione, and “amped him up more” to make it a reality.
“It just made it more exciting for Noah. Now he really wants to do it. It motivated him to believe it’s possible,” he said.
Asked what he hoped for Noah’s future, Sione said the most important thing is that his son is happy and gives his best.
“We want him to grow in a healthy environment and become the best version of himself. And I always tell him, when you become successful, try to give back and help other people.”
That sense of service is at the heart of Noah’s ambition to own a PAK’nSAVE one day. Like Lynch, whose store supports local charities, Noah says he wants to help those in need.
And Sione is confident he’ll get there.
“Me and my wife support Noah with whatever he chooses. If he sticks to it, and with the right support, he will make it big.”