[mcacmartin]

Here in Canada and the US, warehouse stores where you can buy large quantities of things for low low cost, are a HUGE thing. Just about everybody I know has a membership to Costco or Sam's Club.

I have a membership but don't use it for much. Honestly I mostly buy my toilet paper and cereal out there but everything else I buy at the normal grocery store, so it's not like it'll be something huge missing from my life..

Are there stores like this there? Is that what Pak n Save is?

Are they as used as they are here? Seems most of my friends go and buy HUGE quantities of things from Costco every week. I have no idea where they put it all...,their kitchens aren't that much bigger than mine.

So I was curious as to whether the love of warehouse stores was as big in NZ or not? Do you shop at one?

[Ana&Steve]

Speaking as a non NZ resident, I've not really seen or heard of them in NZ.
Pac'n'Save is a grocery store that likes you you to bag your own groceries kind of like Food for Less in the States. (except cleaner!) There was a place in Welly called Moore Wilson that reminded me a bit of Costco but was more like a Smart and Final (if you know those?) in that they had a lot of restaurant-oriented food and kitchenware. Also MW didn't seem any cheaper than the grocery store for bulk items.
I'm also curious if there are warehouse-style stores in NZ. My impression though is that if you see a bargain at the grocery store you buy what you can. Remember though that refrigerators tend to be much smaller in NZ so if it's perishable it might be hard to stock up on it!

[buzztalks]

if you're taliking about shopping at 'stores with concrete floors', the probably Pak n Save and (unsurprisingly) The Warehouse will be the closest equivalents in NZ.

[StevieD]

I soooooo miss Costco (pizzas, pastries, books and cheap goodies etc) it's the shop I miss the most to be honest.

Not seen anything like that around here anyway. Did see a wholesaler/warehouse in Hamilton but that's all.:(

Oh and the kids miss Costco birthday cakes (mum had one made for them when we went back the UK in July :laugh)

Jani D

[mcacmartin]

if you're taliking about shopping at 'stores with concrete floors', the probably Pak n Save and (unsurprisingly) The Warehouse will be the closest equivalents in NZ.

This made me laugh. This is EXACTLY what makes them different from just a big huge grocery store. Sad isn't it?

Well, like I said, I don't buy a whole lot at Costco anyway other than toilet paper so I'm pretty sure I'll cope. I think mostly I go out there just to browse and see what's around...but I can do that anywhere.

My sister tells me that there's no Pak N Save in Blenheim anyway, so I guess it wouldn't have mattered if they were the same or not. I am looking forward to shopping at The Warehouse again though. I can STILL hear their jingle in my head :)

[StevieD]

There are a couple of "trade" places like Costco etc. but hardly worth the bother, not the same quality of own brand goods.

And Pak n Save is not on the same planet as Costco, more a no frills supermarket....

[mcacmartin]

Mmm we have one of those here...it's called Superstore. Lots of name brand stuff but mostly made up of No Name/No Frills stuff. Cheap cheap cheap and you bag it yourself. Sounds about the same thing.

I can't wait to start sourcing out grocery stores etc when we get there.

[Chaz]

We 'sampled' PackNSave yesterday in Albany and it was good. Decent prices, good options, good fruit / veg etc. Well impressed and it should help keep the bills down.

[JasonS]

the closest things we have found to a costco, where you can buy large quantities (bulk) of items is Moore Wilson. some items do work out to be cheaper, some do not. i like to buy detergents, soaps, and things that have a good self life there. some of the baking items are not too badly priced either. i can get a 2kg bag of chocolate chips for about $9.

i have a love/hate relationship with pak'nsave. i like that they have decent prices on most items and they have a pretty good produce section (especially compared to wollies), but i find the store, at least the one in paraparaumu to be cold, dark and it has a general depressing feel to it. many, but not all, of the staff also seem to be depressed and non-friendly. does anyone else notice this when they go to pak'n save? or "pak'n pay" as we call it. :uhoh

laurel

[bstlaurent]

the pak'n'save in the kilbournie shops area of wellington is quite nice actually, we've had a generally pleasant experience there. I like the fact that they are more forthright with what's imported and what's local and the prices are excellent compared to New World (the other grocery chain we've checked out so far). We've actually found some good deals on produce at the small vendors along cuba and in Newtown tbh, so we've split up our shopping. More of a hassle, but overall cheaper and some of the stuff has been better quality.

But no, The Warehouse reminds me more of Walmart than costco, and pak'n'save only has the food aspect of Costco. Simply not enough market to support that size of business I don't think.

[canajanz]

Remember though that refrigerators tend to be much smaller in NZ so if it's perishable it might be hard to stock up on it!

My fridge is mid range of what's available now.and it's as big as any I ever had in canada ... and it's 5 times the size (slight exageration) of the ones we had in UK. Do you measure in cu ft or litres? Mine is 430L

We can even get the big double door fridge with the water and ice dispenser!

The restriction is not so much in what fridge is available as what house you live in <G> is the space big enough for one of the 'new fangled' big fridges.

[canajanz]

We had Pak-n-save in Auckland ... I found it useful but dreary. I think in the end I decided to use it for non perishables only and bought all my fresh stuff somewhere else.

As macmartin said there is no Pak-n-save here in Blenheim :wah
But we have a countdown which is next best I guess
New World does tend to be more $$ but has 'better quality' stuff.
:)Blenheim is a small town so I can go to whichever one has what I need at the time

The Warehouse is more like Target I think ...
Briscoes ... nicer again but even more limited .. bedding, dishes, small appliances,

The major centres have Bond&Bond and Harvey Norman and Noel Leeming for whiteware, appliances, furniture

:cool:someone told me there is an IKEA in Auckland:wah
THAT I DO miss

[IanW99]

...
:cool:someone told me there is an IKEA in Auckland:wah
THAT I DO miss

Well someone told you wrong... so I guess you will have to miss it for a bit longer.:exit

Ian

[canajanz]

Oh NO!

I was holding onto the thought that I would one day get there ... I wonder how much shopping I could bring back from Oz?