Several months ago, in the middle of winter, the team at PAK’nSAVE Wairau were already talking about Christmas.
Not the presents or the pavlova, but the extraordinary task of keeping New Zealand’s busiest supermarket stocked and running smoothly during the busiest time of the year.
In the seven days leading up to Christmas Day 2024, the team of 350 at Wairau moved more than 1.5 million products, a 33 percent jump from the average week. On its busiest day, the 23rd of December 2024, 270,000 items went through the checkout.
At the height of the Christmas Eve rush, the 26 checkouts and 10 self-checkouts scanned up to 18,000 products an hour, i.e. around 300 every minute. Mind-boggling numbers, even for a team used to handling the everyday rush of one of the country’s most popular supermarkets.
Store Manager Wayne Bevin, heading into his 11th Christmas on the shop floor, said the scale was staggering.
Things shift up a notch at Christmas.
“The team knows what’s coming, but you still need to keep your wits about you. If you blink, someone’s off to grab the last punnet of blueberries or a 20kg bag of rice.”
Planning began almost immediately after the previous festive season. The team reviewed what worked and what didn’t, and began mapping out improvements. By Labour Weekend, the store was locked and loaded, ready for the rush.
Night-fill teams run from 3 pm to 3 am; bakers start at midnight; butchers from 1 am to 2 am; and deliveries arrive in the early hours to ensure shelves are stocked before most Kiwis are awake.
Wairau’s customer base is one of the country’s most diverse, with around 40 percent of local shoppers of Asian descent. The seasonal range reflects that, from dumplings, durian pulp and pomelo to fresh cream, strawberries, cherries, lamb, croissants, and avocados.
Last Christmas, top sellers in the week leading up to Christmas included:
- 250,000 eggs
- 49,283 cobs of sweetcorn
- 31,000 avocados
- 28,500 croissants
- 18,000 punnets of blueberries
- 17,911 punnets of strawberries
- 9,229 bottles of cream
- 6,436kg of chicken drumsticks
- 3,847kg of lamb
Bevin said that Wairau's strength lies in its people.
“Our Produce Manager, Muhammed, is legendary. If someone calls in sick, he’s on it. Every year, he finds something that’s of great value to surprise our customers, Korean grapes this year, and they love it. That’s the magic, really.”
Behind the scenes, the team works long hours, with students and part-timers stepping in for extra shifts. The store runs free lunches, a pre-Christmas BBQ, and a post-season celebration to recognise the effort.
Even after all the planning, preparation, and massive numbers, one thing is clear. At Wairau, Christmas is a logistical marvel, a celebration of the team’s hard work, and a place where Kiwis can come together to stock their tables for the holidays.
