Latest data shows New Zealand still delivers lowest grocery prices in benchmark against UK and Australia.
PAK’nSAVE North Island has once again come out on top in a fresh round of international supermarket price comparisons, confirming that New Zealand’s lowest price grocery stores continue to beat major retailers in Australia and the UK on value.
The updated figures, compiled by Foodstuffs North Island, using data provided by NielsenIQ through its Homescan Service, show that for the second month running, PAK’nSAVE delivered the lowest overall basket price in a detailed comparison with five leading supermarket brands – including Woolworths, Aldi, and Tesco.
The four-week average basket prices to the week ending 1 May were:
• PAK’nSAVE North Island – $93.94
• Woolworths NZ (North Island) – $104.30
• Aldi Australia – $100.23
• Tesco UK – $108.63
• Woolworths Australia – $117.37
The analysis compares 20 top-selling grocery items, carefully matched across markets for pack size and product type and adjusted for tax and exchange rates to ensure a level playing field.
Chris Quin, CEO of Foodstuffs North Island, said the results challenge the idea that New Zealand groceries are unreasonably expensive.
“There’s a lot of noise about food prices right now – and we understand why it matters. This data tells us something important: New Zealand grocery prices – particularly at PAK’nSAVE – are competitive by global standards.”
The basket includes core staples most Kiwi households buy each week, such as butter, milk, mince, toilet paper and fresh produce, with a mix of local and private label brands.
Among the 20 items compared were:
• Dairy essentials: Butter, milk, fresh cream, edam cheese
• Pantry basics: White sugar, chopped tomatoes, plain flour
• Household goods: 3-ply toilet tissue
• Frozen and snack items: Mixed veges, hash browns, shoestring fries, chips, Coca-Cola
• Fresh produce and meat: Onions, bananas, carrots, beef mince, chicken breast
“Across two months of rigorous and comparable data, we’re seeing a consistent trend – PAK’nSAVE is leading on price,” Quin said. “This reflects the strength of our low-cost, customer-first model. And because our stores are owned by local families, all the benefits stay in New Zealand.”
The co-operative says it will continue to run the comparison regularly to give New Zealanders clear and transparent insights into how their grocery bills stack up globally.
