Four people hospitalised after a stabbing attack at a Dunedin supermarket on Monday are improving but have a "long road ahead", police say.
The 42-year-old man charged over the stabbing made his first appearance in the Dunedin District Court on Tuesday afternoon. He was remanded in custody and granted interim name suppression.
He's facing four counts of attempted murder after allegedly stabbing four people - including two supermarket employees - at the Cumberland St Countdown on Monday.
The man entered no plea in court on Tuesday and will next appear in the Dunedin High Court on June 1.
Four people remain in Dunedin Hospital following the attack - three of whom are in a serious but stable condition and another is in a moderate condition.
Following the court appearance, Southern District police commander Supt Paul Basham said the victims' conditions are improving.
"All four remain in hospital - one in a moderate condition and three others in a serious but stable condition. This is a positive sign; however, they have a long road ahead and we ask that media respect their privacy at this time.
"While the investigation is still in its early stages, police now have an emerging picture of what occurred.
"I'd like to recognise the Countdown staff who first intervened and were the initial victims."
Basham also revealed two police officers - one off-duty - were at the scene at the time of Monday's stabbings.
He said the pair stepped in and, along with others, helped to de-escalate the situation.
"Other staff were on scene very quickly and feedback indicates they provided a high standard of first aid that almost certainly saved lives.
"This was an extremely fast-moving and confronting scene for our staff - they did an exceptional job when it mattered the most and I'm very proud of their efforts."
Earlier on Tuesday, Corrections southern regional commissioner Ben Clark confirmed one of its staffers was among the injured. Another victim was understood to be the staffer's wife.
"A member of our staff was injured in the incident at a Dunedin supermarket yesterday afternoon," Clark said.
"Our focus is ensuring the staff member, their family and colleagues have all the support they need during this stressful and difficult time.
"We would like to thank the emergency services, police and supermarket staff for the help they provided following the incident.
"To respect the privacy of our staff members and their family, we will not be providing any further comment."
