Supermarkets

In our grocery shopping habits, we rely heavily on our local New Zealand supermarket as a source of fresh and packaged produce. New Zealand supermarkets supply anything and everything we might need in the way of food, as well as general household items such as cleaning, hygiene and pet supplies. Grocery shopping in New Zealand is easy at large supermarkets, where all the week's food requirements can be bought in one place.

Supermarkets in New Zealand are readily found in towns and city centres. Each chain of supermarket has its own particular focus, so the range of groceries and food products available may differ from one supermarket to the next. Choose from:

• Pak'nSave has been shown to have some of the lowest prices nationwide. Shoppers must pack their own groceries.
• Countdown is a discount supermarket that caters for the budget-conscious shopper.
• Woolworths sells a wide range of gourmet and specialty foods. They also offer online grocery shopping, delivered to your door.
• New World also caters for shoppers wanting a choice of local, imported and gourmet foods.
• Super Value stores are community focused and smaller in size, offering a good range of products.
• Fresh Choice is a South Island only supermarket chain, selling a wide selection of local and imported food items.

Where are NZ supermarkets?

You can find supermarkets in shopping malls, suburban areas and urban centres throughout New Zealand. They are generally open longer hours than standard shops, with some opening their doors for 24 hours, seven days a week. For those who find supermarket shopping physically difficult or who find a trip to the supermarket too time-consuming, there is now the option of online supermarket shopping. Outlets such as Woolworths offer an online shopping experience, which includes secure payment and delivery to urban and some rural or provincial areas.

New foods

New Zealand's food industry generates NZ$32 billion annually and produces a large number of innovative foodstuffs. Each year, New Zealand supermarkets put around 500 new, altered or repackaged products on their shelves, ensuring we always have variety and a changing range of products on offer.

Organic produce in supermarkets

In a world that never ceases to change, supermarkets must adapt to a changing environment. In recent years, the consumer demand for organic foods in supermarkets has grown. As a result of this social change, supermarkets have moved to offer organic produce alongside standard items. Auckland's Victoria Park New World was the first supermarket in New Zealand to receive organic certification. Organic grocery shopping is now possible, thanks to the increase in organic produce in mainstream supermarkets throughout New Zealand. It remains only a small portion of the food products available, but despite this (and the higher cost of organic products) the demand for organically produced food continues to increase.

Genetically modified foods in supermarkets

Similarly, the genetic modification of foods for human consumption has been a subject of debate in recent years. In 2001, market research group ACNielsen found that over 45% of households choose not to buy products that contained genetically engineered ingredients. Regardless of social opinion and an ongoing debate over the presence of genetically engineered crops in New Zealand, labeling of foods containing genetically modified ingredients is not compulsory.

Looking for more information? Find supermarkets in New Zealand in the NZS.com directory.

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