3 Guys
{{Short description|Supermarket chain}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Infobox company
| name = 3 Guys / Gubays
| logo =
| logo_caption =
| logo_alt =
| type = Supermarket chain
| industry = Groceries
| predecessor =
| founded = {{Start date and age|1973}} in Auckland, New Zealand
| founder = Albert Gubay
| defunct = {{End date|2003}}
| fate = Remaining stores rebranded as Price Chopper
| successor = Price Chopper, Countdown, SuperValue
| hq_location_city = Auckland
| hq_location_country = New Zealand
| area_served = Upper North Island, parts of Ireland and United States
| products =
| owner = Albert Gubay (1973–1984)
| num_employees =
| num_employees_year =
| parent = Progressive Enterprises (1985–2003)
}}
3 Guys (also operating as Gubays) was a New Zealand, Irish and US supermarket chain that operated between 1973 and 2003.
History
=Albert Gubay era=
File:Mangere Town Centre, Bit Car-Depressed.jpg
Albert Gubay established the supermarket chain while living in New Zealand from January 1973 to April 1974.{{cite news |last1=Truttman |first1=Lisa |title=At the heart of Avondale |url=https://www.bhb.nz/back-in-the-day/at-the-heart-of-avondale |agency=Beacon |date=27 February 2021 |access-date=5 February 2022 |archive-date=20 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230520093925/https://www.bhb.nz/back-in-the-day/at-the-heart-of-avondale |url-status=dead }} Shares in rival supermarket chain Foodtown fell dramatically when his move to New Zealand was confirmed.{{cite news |last1=Green |first1=Roger |title=Meet Mr Gubay, the Housewive's Friend |url=http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Salient36021973-t1-body-d14.html |agency=Salient |publisher=Victoria University of Wellington Students' Association |date=7 March 1973}}
Gubay asked the Minister of Trade and Industry Joe Walding to force Unilever and other suppliers to do business with him. However, an investigation found the suppliers were not breaking the law, and Unilever publicly offered to supply Gubay on similar terms to other buyers.
The first store was opened in Māngere in January 1973. Further stores were added in Papatoetoe, Mount Eden, and Northcote later that year.
Construction on a store in Glen Eden had begun by July 1973.{{cite web |last1=Diamond |first1=John |title=Construction of 3 Guys Supermarket, Glen Eden. |url=https://kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz/digital/collection/photos/id/50402/ |website=aucklandcouncil.govt.nz}}
Plans for a store in Green Bay were scrapped due to local opposition. Gubay instead opted to build a store in Avondale, which opened in September 1975.
=International expansion=
Gubay also established 3 Guys supermarkets in Ireland in the 1970s. He sold these stores to the H Williams supermarket chain in 1986, which subsequently collapsed in the same year. Tesco purchased many of the former 3 Guys stores, branded as either Crazy Prices or 3 Guys, to create Tesco Ireland.{{cite news |title=Tesco Ireland |url=http://www.checkout.ie/News-print.asp?id=469 |agency=Checkout |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060925114305/http://www.checkout.ie/News-print.asp?id=469 |archive-date=25 September 2006}}
3 Guys stores were also opened in the United States from 1980, but the chain went bankrupt in 1985. The stores were sold to other chains like Food Lion.{{cite news |title=Supermarket History – Charlotte, North Carolina |url=http://www.groceteria.com/charlotte/1980.html |agency=Groceteria.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927174822/http://www.groceteria.com/charlotte/1980.html |archive-date=27 September 2007}}
=Post-Gubay era=
File:Dressmart Outlet Store, Onehunga.jpg.]]
Gubay put the New Zealand arm of 3 Guys up for sale in 1984. Progressive Enterprises bought the company in 1985.
Fourteen houses were demolished to build a New Plymouth store in 1992.{{cite web |last1=Gooch |first1=Mike |title=3 Guys Supermarket (Countdown) |url=http://ketenewplymouth.peoplesnetworknz.info/new_plymouth_buildings/topics/show/2067-3-guys-supermarket-countdown |website=Kete New Plymouth}}
The Onehunga store, which included a New Zealand Post shop,{{cite web |title=Onehunga heritage survey |url=https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/arts-culture-heritage/heritage/heritagesurveys/onehunga-heritage-survey.pdf |website=aucklandcouncil.govt.nz |publisher=Auckland Council |date=1 December 2013}} was redeveloped into Dress Smart in 1995.{{cite news |last1=Gibson |first1=Anne |title=Auckland airport to build 120-shop discount outlet centre |url=https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/business/auckland-airport-to-build-new-120-shop-outlet-centre-industry-insiders-welcome-move/ |agency=New Zealand Herald |publisher=Newstalk ZB |date=9 September 2021}}
In early 1997, 3 Guys and Foodtown ran a campaign for the right to sell liquor at their Grey Lynn stores.{{cite news |title=Supermarkets join fracas |url=https://natlib.govt.nz/records/30729404 |agency=Auckland City Harbour News |publisher=Independent News Limited |date=7 March 1997 |page=5}}
3 Guys and Progressive Enterprises merged into a single company in 1997.
The Avondale supermarket closed in June 1997, and its building was demolished. Auckland City Council took ownership of the site, selling part of it for private development in 2001.{{cite news |title=Avondale Three Guys Supermarket Site |url=https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0102/S00061/avondale-three-guys-supermarket-site.htm |agency=Auckland City Council |publisher=scoop.co.nz |date=26 February 2001}}
In 2000, the Glen Eden supermarket was closed to make way for a new Housing New Zealand development.{{cite news |last1=Middlebrook |first1=Lucy |title=Glen Eden hot over housing plan |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/glen-eden-hot-over-housing-plan/6ZYSEDJ2RDAERL5KKC5P2NSOEY/ |agency=New Zealand Herald |date=14 November 2000}} According to the Glen Eden Community Protection Society, it was established to protest the development and persuaded the developer to down-scale its plan.{{cite web |title=Glen Eden Community Protection Society |url=http://gleneden.org.nz/about-us/ |website=gleneden.org.nz |publisher=Glen Eden Community Protection Society}} The supermarket carpark and part of the building was then sold to new owners in February 2001.{{cite news |last1=Fleming |first1=Aroha |title=$1.5m deal to develop part of 3 Guys |url=https://natlib.govt.nz/records/44485288 |agency=Western Leader |date=5 February 2001}}
=Closure and legacy=
The chain had six stores at the start of 2003: its original Māngere store, three other Auckland stores in Orewa, Point Chevalier, Flat Bush, and stores in Huntly and Te Awamutu.
The Commerce Commission required{{Why|date=November 2023|reason=Why did the ComCom require 3Guys to be sold?}} 3 Guys Te Awamutu to be sold in January 2003. The remaining stores were rebranded as Price Chopper.{{cite web |title=3 Guys brand to disappear |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/3-guys-brand-to-disappear/SOL4VQKSUJ5D53OO3ZFRYESRP4/ |website=The New Zealand Herald |publisher=APN News & Media }}
The Pukekohe supermarket site was redeveloped into a strip mall, which was sold as a single lot in 2007.{{cite web |title=Edinburgh St, Pukekohe |url=https://finstar.co.nz/completed-projects/retail/pukekohoe-completed1/ |website=finstar.co.nz |publisher=Finstar Management}}
The site of the former Avondale supermarket remained vacant in 2019. It became popular for street art in 2017, and a structure was built to host street art in 2021.{{cite news |title=Avondale Pavilion boosts street art |url=https://www.unitec.ac.nz/about-us/avondale-pavilion-boosts-street-art |agency=Unitec}} A similarly named "Free Guys Supermarket" opened in Avondale during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide free groceries to low-income households.{{cite news |last1=Haimona-Riki |first1=Mare |title=Social supermarket provides free shopping for Avondale locals |url=https://www.teaomaori.news/social-supermarket-provides-free-shopping-avondale-locals |agency=Te Ao |publisher=Māori Television |date=6 July 2013}}