Forty years ago, a bold new supermarket opened its doors in the far north, and Kiwi grocery shopping changed forever.
PAK’nSAVE Kaitāia, with its no-frills layout, stacked crates and cash-only tills, introduced a new way to shop that was focused on one promise: New Zealand’s lowest food prices.
Now, PAK’nSAVE has marked its 40th birthday, and the original Kaitāia store celebrated with cake and a sausage sizzle, a community event hosted by current owner Doug Cochrane, who said it was all about giving back.
“It’s a huge milestone for a brand that has never lost sight of what matters: value, service and supporting the community,” said Cochrane.
This was a sentimental moment for Gaylene Voss, who opened PAK’nSAVE Kaitāia in 1985 with her late husband, Barrie. They had just 17 staff and big hopes for Foodstuffs’ bold new “food barn” concept.
“We had no barcodes, we paid wages in brown envelopes, and we walked across the road to the bank with the day’s takings in a Milo sports bag. It was basic – but we had heart, hustle and a mission to keep food affordable," said Voss.
The store’s popularity among the community led to three store expansions during the 11 years they owned the store, and included a loan for a NZD three million bakery expansion.
What started with bulk mutton, candles, and drippings has evolved into something uniquely local, featuring fresh fish from Mangōnui Wharf and smoked roe from Ahipara, all prepared in-store. The local community has always shaped PAK’nSAVE Kaitāia. That same spirit is alive and well in the South Island today.
The newest PAK'nSAVE store, located in Papanui, opened in March 2024 and is co-owned by the husband-and-wife duo of Bryan Walker and Lucy Boock. Both come from long lines of grocers and still carry that hands-on, people-first approach.
Boock, a third-generation grocer, started packing groceries in her parents’ store after school while Walker grew up working in his family’s dairy. They lived above the shop, serving customers from morning till night.
PAK’nSAVE Papanui employs 290 staff who are part of a culture built on trust, loyalty and shared success.
“We treat our team like family. There’s a lot of pride in what we do," said Walker.
The store’s top-selling items include bananas, chicken breast from the butchery and two-litre milk. On a single day, the butchery team once packed 1.4 tonnes of fresh chicken breast.
“It’s not just groceries coming in the back and out the front. A lot of what we sell is made by hand all right here in the store.”
While technology, sustainability, and store design have evolved, the foundation has remained unchanged.
From handwritten payslips to barcode scanners, and from pies in the oven to EV chargers in the carpark – 40 years on, PAK’nSAVE is still delivering for Kiwi households.
Foodstuffs South Island is set to open PAK’nSAVE Rolleston, which will be the largest PAK’nSAVE store in the South Island, later this year.
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