It’s no secret Christmas Eve is one of New Zealand’s busiest shopping days of the year.
As Kiwis prep for the party season, New World has released new sales data that has unwrapped the food items Kiwi shoppers purchased at the last minute.
In addition, if shoppers forget what they need for their Christmas Day spread, New World has launched a unique solution to save people from being caught short in the form of Xmas SOS vending machines.
New World has found that within the last three hours, stores have been scheduled to close on Christmas Eve, and shoppers have stocked up on different festive food items around the country.
In a less traditional take on a standard Christmas side dish, Rotorua shoppers purchased the largest onion soup mix and canned reduced cream.
Wellingtonian topped the list for last-minute carrot purchases. The data also showed the city has been partial to a Christmas Day pavlova, with a surge of pavlovas sold in the final few hours of trading.
More on the dessert front, the data showed the most significant combination of sponge trifle and custard purchases were made in Hawke’s Bay in the last three hours.
At the same time, Auckland was the nation’s chocolate capital as the City of Sails bought the most chocolates ahead of Christmas close.
Back up north, Whangarei opted for the traditional festive fare as the location where the whole lamb legs were sold in the last three hours of trading.
When it came to berries, down south reigned supreme. Kaikoura shoppers bagged the most cherries on the South Island, while Christchurch stocked up on strawberries more than anywhere else in New Zealand.
To help Kiwis if they discover a vital festive item has slipped off their shopping list on Christmas Day, New World has launched Xmas SOS vending machines at select stores nationwide.
Whether people realise they’re short on berries, need extra custard, or crave ingredients to make onion dip, three Xmas SOS vending machines located in Auckland (NW Stonefields), Wellington (NW Wellington City), and Christchurch (NW Durham Street) will be stocked with a selection of grocery items people might forget to buy, along with other handy extras.
All Xmas SOS vending machine proceeds will go to the City Mission in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.
