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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