Which do you people honestly reckon is cheaper!I shop at pak n save but sometimes think countdown has a better selection or fruit and veges and then their own homebrand stuff is usually really cheap. However I think that pak n save has a much better and bigger meat selection - what does everyone reckon - thanks
ldbaqbeak,
Sep 26, 4:36am
i havent really compared general prices, but i have noticed the pak n save always have junk food, low-nutritient, packaged, processed, 'lazy' food on sale and in abundance. whereas countdown and woolworths seem to have a far greater range of fresh, healthy, better quality food. for the sake of quality and nutrition, i always shop countdown, woolworths, and occassionally new world.
korban,
Sep 26, 4:38am
I find overall Pak N Save to be cheaper for me
angel361,
Sep 26, 4:48am
Thats what i thought that generally overall pak n save is cheaper, just wondered if countdown's home brand stuff is cheaper - thanks
carriebradshaw,
Sep 26, 4:53am
I find Countdown works out cheaper as they have alot of good specials and home brand stuff I find better than Pams.I dont like Pak and save for lots of reasons one being lack of variety. I only buy grocery items at the supermarket though.I buy fruit and veg from the fruit shop and meat from the butchers as I find it much better quality and nearly always cheaper.
tehenga288,
Sep 26, 6:09am
Yes I agree-overall C/down is better on specials that I would use and variety and the Home brand is much better quality than Pam's. Also P n S don't have the smaller quantities that suit solo cooking. There are other reasons too like no baskets only huge trolleys.
usualsuspect,
Sep 26, 6:32am
pak n save shops are dirty imho and they dont stock all the varieties in certain products i dont get that when they have a few packets of a range but not the full variety.weird practice. i prefer countdown to them and yes having the items bagged for me is 1 of the reasons i like countdown, that plus their great variation of products and homebrand products.i went off pak n save ages ago .voted with my feet
olwen,
Sep 26, 6:48am
I don't have a PaknSave.For some things New World Budget brand is cheaper than Home Brand.We shop around a lot.
pickles7,
Sep 26, 6:57am
COUNTDOWN grrrrr Last week I left my trolley up at the check out full and walked out. This week my husband comes with me just to see why. Same thing we waited and waited until I walked out, it was a further 20 minutes until he got out of the shop. Disgraceful, so many out of work, check outs closed.
kay141,
Sep 26, 7:44am
I find the same in all supermarkets. Went to Pak n Save today. 1 normal checkout, 1 rescan one and queues for the self- service. Struck much the same at a Countdown last week and was nearly late for work. One of my co-workers left hers and walked out the same day.
toadfish,
Sep 26, 6:04pm
I shopped at Countdown most of the time when I went back to work full time as it was more connvenient, and find if you arn't brand loyal, use home brand and shop the specials its not too bad.Now I have moved and Pak n Save is closer, if you apply the same principle Pak n Save is noticeably cheaper.I was willing to forgo the savings for convenience & closeness before. but not willing to drive past Pak n Save to pay more lol.I also have started shopping 4 weekly. again much cheaper than weekly shopping. I buy what we need and a spare of most things. and stock up on the good specials.I do have to shop for fruit,Veg, milk and eggs in between though and do that at an Asian vege mart.
toadfish,
Sep 26, 6:06pm
mmm just thinking after the chooks arrive, we plant out a vegie garden and wait for the fruit trees to grow we will eventually need to go less and less in between shops.except for milk - can't see a cow on the horizon. but roast Lambs in the paddock. mmmm maybe.
sarahb5,
Sep 26, 9:32pm
I shop at Countdown because I can shop online which saves me money because I don't impulse buy.I don't get the petrol vouchers but still reckon I'm better off by not actually cruising the aisles!My son picks my shopping up after school so it costs me $4.25 to have someone else do my shopping for me, and $2 which I give him to pick it up and put it away before I get home from work.
niffer13,
Sep 26, 11:29pm
Pak and Save saves me heaps compared to countdown.But only get there every 6 weeks or so. I have a pac & save list & when I run out completely of an item then I get it from countdown. I resent having to walk thru the local countdown to the furthest point from the door to get milk & bread so buy that from our local clearance store cheaper I am in & out in a couple of minutes also buy my jumbo eggs there so much cheaper than countdown as well. I find there is always a wait at countdown and pac & save check outs.
kobec9,
Sep 27, 12:06am
I shoping at Paknsave but really dont like it due to lack of variety and having to pack my own stuff but did a little experiment where I went through my docket when I got home on the Countdown online site (usually choose the cheapest brand too) and my shop came out $50.00 dearer.So back to paknsave I go.
mwood,
Sep 27, 12:15am
Blenheim has 1 New World - overstaffed and 3 Countdowns - understaffed. Both grossly overpriced. Pak 'n Save is being built here now - maybe it's a rescue package !
ange164,
Sep 27, 12:59am
put a goat in there and milk that.
macandrosie,
Sep 27, 2:40am
I prefer Countdown, I think overall they carry a wider range of products which are competitive in price. I have to admit I would like to buy from our local New World, but I find the staff there quite unfriendly & they alway seem to be talking amongst themselves, & not always very helpful. We live in a small rural town.
lodgelocum,
Sep 27, 2:51am
I shop Pak n Save (or Slack & Slave), only because generally it is cheaper overall, but also go to Countdown to get things PnS don't stock.If money was no object, I would only shop Countdown or New World but don't have that luxury.I am tending to buy more at Countdown because they do have good specials, and the two shops are only one block apart so not using extra petrol to stop at Countdown before going home.
buzzy110,
Sep 27, 2:56am
I don't shop the middle aisles mostly so the specials of packaged and processed foods are irrelevant to me and make very little difference to my final bill.
I choose P-n-S because the meat, fish and vegetables are usually cheaper and fresher as they have a higher turnover. Sometimes I drop into Countdown for something I may need and am often shocked at the cost of Produce and meat.
On the other hand I definitely prefer to shop at a butcher (better quality meat and better service and no dearer); a greengrocers that has a high turnover (produce fresher and cheaper) with a great range so I can get things not available at supermarkets and apart from the 300grms packs of cold smoked salmon for $10.something, and the odd fish special at P-n-S, I usually buy any seafood from a fish shop. We have a lovely fish shop. It is spoltlessly clean and the fish is always super fresh and the beautiful Asian lady with immaculate clothes on always bows as I leave. I find myself returning the courtesy. They sell the best hot smoked salmon in NZ.
lodgelocum,
Sep 27, 3:05am
I never buy fish from a supermarket, we also have a very nice fresh fish shop I only buy from, even our cat won't eat fish from the supermarket, so that must say something lol
village.green,
Sep 27, 5:54am
Shame we don't have more competition. Hopefully we might have Lidl, Tesco, or Costco one day. But I suppose our population wouldn't support it ! don't know, what do others think!
kay141,
Sep 27, 7:22am
Nice to have the choice. Some don't. It is the one and only supermarket or nothing for kilometers.
lodgelocum,
Sep 27, 7:37am
Yes, and its my 'choice' not to buy from a supermarket.
toadfish,
Sep 27, 8:18am
I am with you the savings are substantial, I am a disciplined shopper so impulse buys arn't an issue for me and I like to look at whats available and make a choice- sometimes though I see something I wasn't looking for that I can incorporate into our weekly menu that will replace something I thought i wanted. I work full time so go early Sunday morning to get it out the way. Is worth $50+ to me and I bring home bacon and fresh bread and we have a breakfast together once all is unpacked. I have found the cheapest way to shop is to send my Miss 19 soon to be 20 with a list to Pak'n'Save - she is one savvy shopper and no extras come home.But I would say my savings are well over $50 on a 3-4 week shop.
Since the public registrations are closed, you must have an invite from a current member to be able to register and post in this thread.
Have an account? Login here.