Author - Cook Islands Trading Centre

Transformation of CITC a challenge that paid off

Twenty years ago, as Trevor Clarke surveyed the company he’d just acquired the majority shareholding of, it wasn’t a pretty sight. Cook Islands Trading Corporation’s (CITC) buildings were old and in need of replacement, the company itself was tired – almost dormant. The Cook Islands too were in bad shape at the time. The country was broke and the government was hugely in debt. It had been printing its own bank notes to try to stay afloat, and using funds intended for...

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Trevor with cake

A Trip Down Memory Lane

I’m picking Robin Bullen is a bit of a character. You can see it in his mercurial smile and his eyes. There’s a hint of mischief – well, fun anyway. But there’s a lot of knowledge there too, and I’ve come to talk to him about what those eyes have seen over the past half a century or so since he arrived here from New Zealand in 1965. Bullen arrived during the dying days of New Zealand’s colonial rule over these...

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CITC car winner announced

Wednesday August 22, 2018 Written by Jaimie Keay Published in Local After 13 weeks it has finally been won – on Monday CITC announced the winner of the brand-new Hyundai Kona which was to be given away as a part of their spend $20 promotion that started back in May. CITC general manager Gaye Whitta said the feedback from customers had been very positive. “I think a lot of people appreciated that you could get something simply from buying your groceries, and not having to...

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CITC opens Matavera store

Friday July 27, 2018 Written by Jaimie Keay Published in Local The latest Cook Islands Trading Corporation venture, “KAPS Matavera”, was officially opened on a wet Wednesday afternoon. The new convenience store is a partnership between CITC and the Cook Islands Party’s Kaka Ama, who spoke on Wednesday about finally realising a dream. “It has been a long dream of mine to get this place to what it is today. To be honest the first building that was here in 1998 and it wasn’t quite...

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citc supermarket rarotonga

Supermarket worker ‘Facebook-famous’

Monday March 05, 2018 Written by Jaimie Keay Published in Local For CITC supermarket employee Malcolm Browne, it is always an easy decision to help customers with their groceries.   The 27-year-old, who started working for CITC as a groundsman, has become Facebook-famous after being celebrated for helping customers load heavy groceries into their vehicles. Browne, who is in charge of cleaning the carpark, returning the trolleys and general maintenance of the grounds, says helping customers with their...

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2017 Tropical Christmas Parade

There was an amazing array of Christmas floats lined up for the Santa Parade this year.  As each float took to the street, the children were treated to not only a brilliant array of color but also lollies being tossed out from every float.  Talk about a sugar rush!!  The CITC float was decorated from front to back with brilliant colors and with brightly painted fruits along the sides.  On the back was a brightly colored balloon painted with all...

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Tropical “Tutti Frutti” Christmas

Our Tutti Frutti Challenge, really got our Tutti Frutti Christmas off to a roaring success.  Each division was given their own fruit and told to use it in their decorations.  Then Santa’s elves got together and went through the divisions to see what had been done. Well they were blown away!!  There were so many incredible decorations and inventive uses of the fruit that almost every division won a prize for something! Congratulations to all the teams who took the time and...

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xmas in a box

The Christmas Box

CITC took giving seriously this year and also assisted the Christmas Box to provide for all those less fortunate families in the Cook Islands! There are many families out there that need our help and CITC was both proud and humbled to be able to do our little bit. Next year both the Giving Tree and the Christmas Box will be a focus for CITC and Tropical Christmas.

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citc xmas

BSP Giving Tree

CITC decided to assist with the BSP Giving Tree and help put a smile on a child this year.  The company picked up 120 tags and through the staff and customers we managed to provide gifts for children, not only in Rarotonga but in the outer islands as well. The gifts were for children from 1 month to 12 years old and ranged over every island. Almost every person who picked up a tag, felt blessed that they had been given...

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Vaka Eiva 2017

Vaka Eiva 2017 is the biggest international paddling event on the Cook Islands Canoeing Calendar. It was held from November 24 – December 1. It was a huge event and as usual Moana always shows up for the event. The calm seas turned into 2 – 3 foot swells, rain poured down and the sun seem to have disappeared for the weeklong event. Local Club, Ngakau Toa, Open women’s team is captained and coached by our very own Tara Cumming, who won...

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