Thank you Chas, a true Māngere legend

Following news that the Māngere Town Centre Countdown is closing after over 50 years in the community, tributes have also poured in for one of the store's longest serving staff, Chas Hoskin

As Māngere said goodbye to its longstanding Countdown supermarket in the town centre on 7 November, the community also took a moment to honour one of the store's most familiar faces, Chas Hoskin. Chas had worked at the store for 48 years and became a symbol of service, kindness and a true Māngere "O.G." according to social media tributes.

Earlier this month, 275 Times shared a online post to the closing of the store, featuring Chas and two other staff. It quickly became the most-viewed post in the publication’s history, reaching 534,000 views and attracting 571 heartwarming comments about Chas and memories of the supermarket.

One commenter Reomoana Rapana relayed: “Ol’ mate Chas. No matter how busy he is, he always has time to stop and say hi to Mum and I. That man has worked in all seasons and all weather conditions for decades! Enjoy your extra free time with your lovely wife, my dude!”

Chas (left) and his wife Marion, who he met at the Māngere Town Centre bus station

Chas began his journey in November 1977 at just sixteen years old, when the store was still Foodtown.

“I started working at Foodtown collecting trolleys and taking customers’ groceries out to their cars,” he recalls.

Māngere Town Centre 1971

Māngere Foodtown had opened in 1971, and Chas remembers shopping there with his parents in its first week. In 2000, the store transitioned from Foodtown to Countdown, and Chas simply kept going. 

“A lot of people have gone overseas for about 25 years and come back here, and they say, ‘Oh, you still here?’”

Across nearly five decades, Chas has become woven into the fabric of Māngere Mall life, becoming known for his kindness, reliability, and the countless relationships he built over the years. “I have enjoyed every minute working with the staff and customers."

Chas’s own family story is connected to the supermarket too. In 2000, he met his future wife Marion at the Māngere bus stop, as she was a librarian. They married in 2005 at the old Papatoetoe railway station - a fitting location for a lifelong train enthusiast.

From left: Ashiana, Chas and Susie on their last day of work

Woolworths also paid tribute to Chas for his "incredible service, loyalty and commitment to the business over all these years". For Chas, he is looking forward to spending more time on his hobbies. 

 “I can go home with my model train. I’ve got a model train in my backyard.”

After 48 years of service, he's earnt a well-deserved break, and he will always be remembered as a true local legend.