Where to Shop in Auckland - Supermarkets

Countdown Supermarket on Quay Street.

Like any place, Auckland has different kinds of supermarkets to cater to different kinds of people. Here are the three main ones, plus two asian grocery stores.

Pak 'n Save in Sylvia Park Mall.

First on our list is Pak 'n Save. It is similar to warehouse supermarkets like Puregold and Shopwise back home. Items are cheap, but the selection is limited. Also, most of Pak 'n Save stores are located outside the CBD. The nearest from university would be the one in Sylvia Park. Roundtrip train ride would cost you about NZ$8. So only go there if you have a long grocery list.

Countdown on Victoria Street, CBD.

Next we have Countdown. Its equivalent in the Philippines would probably be SM Hypermart or Robinsons' Supermarket. They have a good variety of products, but not as cheap as Pak 'n Save. The good thing about Countdown though is that they have weekly specials. So what I do is wait for the items to go on sale, and that's when I buy. Also, I got their "suki" card called the One Card, and sometimes they have cheaper prices. The OneCard is free, so you might as well get one.

There are two Countdowns in the CBD. The one at the center is on Victoria Street, nearby the Auckland Sky Tower. But it's not as big as the other one on Quay Street. That branch is larger and open 24 hours.

New World in Wellington.

New World is the most expensive of the three. They say it's because it has the most variety, but if the items you wish to buy are in Pak 'n Save or Countdown, why even bother to pay a higher premium for the same things? New World is like Rustan's Fresh. Avoid at all cost. Only buy when there is no Pak 'n Save or Countdown in sight.

Tai Ping is on Beach Road.

The three main supermarkets don't carry everything Filipinos need (or want)--yes, not even New World. These western stores don't have Mang Tomas or Skyflakes or banana ketchup. For these items, I recommend you to go to the Asian grocery stores. On one end of the CBD, there is Tai Ping. This is located on Beach Road. They have some Filipino items here.

Lim Chour is located on K Road.

On the other end of the CBD, there is Lim Chour Supermarket. This place, in my opinion, has more variety of goods than Tai Ping. And it's cheaper too. They have a lot of Filipino products here. But I don't frequent this much since it's far from my flat. Lim Chour is located on Karanghape Road (K Road), at the end of Queen Street. If you stay in Grafton or Symonds, this is just walking distance.

So there. If you want the value for money, go to Pak 'n Save. For convenience, buy at Countdown. Avoid New World (although my friends tell me that on some days they do have specials). For Filipino or other Asian items not found in Pak 'n Save or Countdown, try Tai Ping or Lim Chour.

Happy shopping!