Online Supermarkets Comparison - The Definitive New Zealand Guide

Our must-read guide compares PAK’nSAVE vs Countdown vs New World vs Farro vs The Honest Grocer, including the pros, cons, costs and limitations

Updated 24 August 2021

Summary:

Our guide compares the three major supermarkets and two specialty grocers.
Our view is that the lowest prices are offered by PAK'n'SAVE, which is consistent with research undertaken by Consumer. However, PAK'n'SAVE does not offer a delivery service so it's pick-up only.
This leaves Countdown (which delivers nationwide) and New World (which doesn't deliver within the South Island other than via a limited pilot trial)
To help make sense of what's on offer, we look at the specs of each service and compare them in detail. We have included Farro and The Honest Grocer as these are popular delivery-only services.

Our guide covers:

PAK’nSAVE vs Countdown vs New World vs Farro

Online Grocery Shopping Basics: Pros and Cons

Online grocers can either be brick-and-mortar supermarkets and grocery stores that offer online ordering or standalone ecommerce sites that offer grocery items as one of their services.

Among these, there are two main ways customers can receive their orders: in-store pickup or delivery. In-store (also known as “click and collect”) works by allowing customers to place their orders online and pick up their orders in the store at a convenient time - during workdays, that usually means when they’re heading home. This is the less expensive option compared to delivery. A grocery delivery service can be a convenient option for anyone, including the elderly, people with limited mobility or lack of transportation. Delivery costs depend largely on how much is in your virtual trolley or shopping cart. For example, Countdown charges a $14 delivery fee for orders up to $199.99 and $9 if it’s $200 or more.

Pros:

Convenience - this is the biggest one. Whether you’re too busy to go in-store to buy your groceries each week or if you just wanted to save some time, online grocery shopping provides you with the flexibility to pick up or have your order delivered to you at your convenience
Selection: depending on the online grocer, they may have items in their warehouse that aren’t in stock at their physical stores. Or you may be able to find an extensive range of products that aren’t commonly found in normal supermarkets. Shopping groceries online allows you to find everything you need simply by typing the name or brand of a product, as well as relevant products.
No impulse shopping: when you shop for groceries online, you aren’t exposed to the fancy displays and alluring promotions. Having a single snapshot of your shopping cart also allows you to evaluate the things you buy and how much you’re spending, so you don’t go over your grocery budget.
Price comparison: online grocery shopping makes comparing prices so easy. At a glance, you can see which products offer a better bargain.
Product substitutions: Before you submit your order you can let your online grocer know that you’re happy for them to substitute an alternative item. In the case that an item is out of stock, usually, online grocers will substitute it with a similar product of equal or higher quality, but will only charge you an equal or lower price

Cons to shopping groceries online:

Price - if you opt in for grocery delivery services, you will end up paying a premium in the forms of delivery fees and/or fuel surcharges that can take a substantial bite out of your grocery budget.
Missing item, poor food quality or damaged goods - unfortunately, these do happen which may require additional effort on your part to get replacement of the items or request refunds if you didn’t get what you ordered
Specific delivery time window - time slot availability changes depending on seasons/holidays and how much staff the online grocers have on their hands. If you want to get grocery shopping done in a specific window each week, it pays to learn when exactly you need to place your order to guarantee that time slot.
Item availability - some online grocers don’t offer the option to purchase from the hot/deli counters such as roast chicken.
Portion sizes - when buying groceries at a physical store, it’s easy to see how big or small an item is. Online grocery shopping is a different story. The definition of portion size for online grocers may be different to your definition so there may be occasions where you receive significantly smaller options to what you expected. To avoid situations like these, it’s important to pay attention to serving size AND weight requirements so you know exactly how much you need to order.
Order minimums - this may not be the case for all online grocers but sometimes there is a minimum order amount required for free pickups

Compare Pak’nSave vs Countdown vs New World vs Farro vs The Honest Grocer - What You Need to Know

We compare the supermarkets and specialty grocers side-by-side:

Pak’nSave

Website: Pak'nSave
Why we like it: Lowest food prices and small minimum spend amount. If you’ve been a regular grocery shopper, you’ll know that Pak’nSave prides itself for offering low prices without compromising on selection or quality. According to a 12 week survey conducted by Consumer, Pak’nSave was indeed the cheapest compared to Countdown and New World - on average, saving more than $10 a week which equates to more than $500 a year.
Order options: Pick up only
Service fee: Service fee for Click & Collect is $5, whatever the value of your order is.
Minimum order value: $1
Cut-off time for placing, changing or cancelling an order: up to 24 hours prior to your order pick-up time. If you are running late to collect your order, you will need to call their contact centre on 0800 725 672 to make alternative arrangements.
Time slot availability: Click & Collect time slots are released exactly 7 days in advance. We recommend booking further ahead if you are able to.
Alcohol: Alcohol can be purchased online but proof of ID will be required when collecting your order.
Items not available: flowers, gift cards, tobacco, hot food, oversized items and very heavy items
Order fulfillment: orders assembled by personal shopper at your chosen Pak’nSave store
Substitutions: Provided (on consent). If a product order is not available, a substitution will be made with a similar product of equal or higher quality. However, they will only charge an equal or lower price.
Bags: $1 eco-friendly bags will be used or an alternative (such as cardboard box) if bags are not preferred

Countdown

Website: Countdown
Why we like it: wide variety of selection and user friendly website. Countdown continues to drive customer satisfaction through technology and innovation. One such example is their monthly delivery subscription service, Delivery Saver.
Order options: Pick up and Delivery available
Service fee: For deliveries in most areas, Countdown offers flat fees - $14 for orders up to $199.99 and $9 for orders over $200.00. This amount is added on top of your order.
To save on delivery fees, Countdown offers a Delivery Saver subscription ($23 per month subscription or $118 per 6 months subscription). These allow you to receive undelivered deliveries for grocery orders over $80.
Countdown’s Pick up service is FREE for all orders over $50. Pick up orders below $50 will be charged a $5 service fee.
Minimum order value:
$0 for general deliveries (flat fees are applied)
$80 for Delivery Saver Subscriptions
$50 for FREE Pick up (otherwise $5 for service fee)
Delivery details: Delivery slots generally close one to three hours prior to allow the Countdown team to prepare your order. Specific delivery times cannot be requested (due to volume of deliveries) so when you checkout your order, you will need to leave a note to the drivers so they know where to place your order when no one is at home.
Cut-off time for placing, changing or cancelling an order: Requesting for cancellation needs to be made as soon as possible to their Customer Care Team. If the order has been picked, then you will be unable to cancel the order and a $20 cancellation fee may be charged.
Time slot availability: Viewable during ordering process
Alcohol: Alcohol can be purchased online but proof of ID and order confirmation email will be required when collecting your order.
Items not available: flowers, tobacco, hot food, oversized items and very heavy items
Order fulfillment: orders assembled by personal shopper at your chosen Countdown store
Substitutions: Provided (on consent). If a product order is not available, a substitution will be made with a similar product of equal or higher quality. However, they will only charge an equal or lower price.
Bags: $1 bag charge per order will be applied at checkout unless customers choose to BYO bags for in-store collection.
Refund policy: if you’re unhappy with anything purchased, they will refund your money and replace your purchase.

New World

Website: New World
Why we like it: flexibility and convenience with great customer satisfaction. Given that New World is owned by the same parent organisation as Pak’nSave - Foodstuffs, you can be sure that the quality of product and customer service will be on par. The only downside is that New World currently only offers their online grocery delivery services to the North Island (outside of a pilot trial in the South Island).
Order options: Pick up and Delivery available
Service fee: For deliveries, New World offers flat fees - $15 for orders up to $199.99 and $10 for orders $200 or more. This amount is added on top of your order. For Click & Collect (pick up), it will cost you a flat fee of $5, whatever the value of your order is.
Minimum order value: $1
Delivery details: Delivery slots are usually held for you for up to 30 minutes. Although it is strongly recommended for you to be at home to receive your order, the deliverers will contact you if a delivery can’t be made. If instructed, they can leave your order at your door (or an agreed location)
Cut-off time for placing, changing or cancelling an order: up to 12 hours prior to your order pick-up time/delivery time. If you are running late to collect your order, you will need to call their contact centre on 0800 463 996 to make alternative arrangements.
Time slot availability: Time slots are released exactly 7 days in advance. These are offered for both pick up (Click & Collect) and delivery services
Alcohol: Alcohol can be purchased online but proof of ID will be required when collecting your order.
Items not available: flowers, gift cards, tobacco, hot food, oversized items and very heavy items
Order fulfillment: orders assembled by personal shopper at your chosen New World store
Substitutions: Provided (on consent). If a product order is not available, a substitution will be made with a similar product of equal or higher quality. However, they will only charge an equal or lower price.
Bags: Online orders will be packed in paper bags at a cost of 20c each, to a maximum charge of $1. If you prefer no bags used, the store (chosen by you) will offer other packaging options (such as cardboard boxes)
Refund policy: if you’re unhappy with anything purchased, you will need to call their contact centre on 0800 483 996 to request for a replacement or refund

Farro

Website: Farro
Why we like it: Farro provides a unique and extensive selection of products that aren’t commonly found in general supermarkets. Farro is well known for its organic produce and range of products that are hard to find elsewhere. Two words to describe Farro - premium and luxury. Unlike most online grocers that don’t offer hot meals, Farro is well known for its ready-to-cook meal options catered for individuals, couples and families. In addition to the high quality foods it provides, Farro works closely with suppliers and food producers ensuring that sustainability is built into their product lifecycle. That means reducing food and packaging waste, which is one of the biggest challenges for online grocers.
Order options: Delivery services only
Service fee: For deliveries, Farro charges a standardised delivery fee of $15
Minimum order value: No minimum
Delivery details: While it’s recommended that you are home when the order is delivered, Farro’s delivery drivers will do their best to ensure your order is left in a safe place. There is an option to leave detailed instructions for the drivers. Notifications will also be sent when your order is on its way, 5 minutes away and when your order has been delivered.
Cut-off time for placing, changing or cancelling an order: if you would like to add to your order or make changes, you will need to contact them via their contact form or via phone on 09 360 0499. However, it’s important to note that changes to your orders cannot be made if the date of delivery is scheduled on the day.
Time slot availability: Monday to Friday, 12pm - 5pm or 6-9pm slots are available.
Alcohol: Alcohol can be purchased online but there is no proof of ID required. By submitting an order with Farro is agreeing with their terms and conditions and confirming that you’re over the age of 18 and legally allowed to buy liquor in New Zealand.
Items not available: there are no restrictions on items for purchase as long as they’re in stock unless for foods that require pre-ordering such as cakes
Order fulfillment: Information not available
Substitutions: Not available
Bags: No additional cost
Refund policy: if you’re unhappy with anything purchased, you will need to submit a request from their contact centre. Items are not refundable unless there is a mistake made in the order or during shipping.

The Honest Grocer

Website: The Honest Grocer
Why we like it: fresh New Zealand-grown produce directly from farmers and growers to customers. The Honest Grocer is an ecommerce site that provides exceptional products from New Zealand farmers and growers as well as hand-selected packaged goods from local and international suppliers. And since they don’t have any overheads that normal stores will have, these savings are passed on to their customers.
Membership: The Honest Grocer offers membership tiers - Silver status and Gold status. For anyone new who shops with The Honest Grocer, products are priced at their Silver Status. If a person upgrades to Gold Status, members will receive the best possible prices and additional discounts. Their membership cost is $12.95 per month and can be canceled at any time.
Order options: Delivery only
Service fee: The Honest Grocer only delivers to the North Island at this moment. This is separated by two delivery zones:
Zone 1 - encompasses Whangarei-Auckland-Hamilton (approximately): Up to $199.99: delivery fee is $12, $200 and above: delivery fee is $8
Zone 2 - rest of the North Island: Up to $199.99: delivery fee is $16, $200 and above: delivery fee is $12
There is also an additional $3 flat fee for anything you order that requires chilling (excluding seafood), to allow for special packaging for the item/s. For seafood, there is a $10 flat fee for each order as it requires a lot of special packaging to protect the freshness
Minimum order value: $50. This is the minimum amount for products only - excluding delivery fees and any other charges for chilled packaging.
Delivery details: delivery will occur at your nominated delivery address. If there is no person to accept delivery, the products will be left at the front door or as instructed by you in your order.
Cut-off time for placing, changing or cancelling an order: if changes are made (including due to product availability), you must contact The Honest Grocer’s Customer Support team as soon as possible (within 48 hours). This may be subject to a cancellation fee, which you will be notified by the team.
Time slot availability: orders can be made at any time. However, in saying that, dispatching orders takes 5-7 days. The reason is that The Honest Grocer by not holding much stock in their inventory, they’re able to keep prices as low as possible. So that means they order from their suppliers after you order with them.
Alcohol: Alcohol can be purchased online but proof of age will be verified by the courier on their behalf.
Items not available: no restrictions
Order fulfillment: orders are directly made by the supplier for The Honest Grocer
Substitutions: None available. If there are any issues related to product availability, the team at The Honest Grocer will inform their customer of such changes and order cancellation may be made.
Bags: No additional cost to bags other than specified items that require chilled packaging in order to maintain freshness
Refund policy: if you’re unhappy with anything purchased, whether it be delivering the wrong items, having mis-labeled a product on their website or anything that arrives damaged or spoiled, The Honest Grocer will offer a refund or exchange.

Pak’nSave vs Countdown vs New World vs Farro vs The Honest Grocer Comparison Table

When choosing which online supermarket site to use, there are only a select few factors to consider. As mentioned above, each of these websites have their own uniqueness so it mostly comes down to your preferences as well as the value you see it providing.

Our table makes the similarities and differences clearer:

Main things to consider for online grocery shopping	Pak’nSave	Countdown	New World	Farro	The Honest Grocer
Order option	Pick up only	Pick up and Delivery	Pick up and Delivery	Delivery Only	Delivery Only
Service fee	$5 for any value	$14 - orders up to $199.99 $9 - orders over $200 (excludes Deliver Saver subscription)	$15 - orders up to $199.99 $10 - orders over $200 For Click & Collect, $5 flat fee for any value	$15 standardised delivery fee	Zone 1: Up to $199.99: delivery fee is $12 $200 and above: delivery fee is $8 Zone 2: $199.99: delivery fee is $16 $200 and above: delivery fee is $12 (excluding special packaging)
Minimum order value	$1	- $0 for general deliveries (flat fees are applied) - $80 for Delivery Saver Subscriptions - $50 for FREE Pick up (otherwise $5 for service fee)	$1	No minimum	$50 - this amount excludes delivery fees or charges for chilled packaging
Order edit times (change or cancel	Up to 24 hours prior to order pick-up time	ASAP - $20 cancellation fee may be charged	Up to 12 hours prior to order pick-up/delivery time	Up to 24 hours prior to order delivery time	Within 48 hours of ordering. Cancellation fee may be charged
Specified time slot availability	Yes	No	No	No	No
Bags	$1 eco-friendly bag or alternative (e.g. cardboard box)	$1 bag charge per order unless customers choose BYO bags	20c per paper bag, with maximum charge of $1 or alternative (e.g. cardboard box)	No additional cost	No additional cost to bags other than specified items that require chilled packaging $3 for general chilled goods $10 for seafood
Substitutions provided?	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Refund if not satisfied	Yes, but only if items are damaged, faulty or spoiled on pick-up	Yes, if unhappy with purchase, will refund money and replace purchase	Yes, if unhappy with purchase, will refund money and replace purchase	Yes, but only if items are damaged, fault or spoiled on delivery	Yes, if unhappy with purchase, will refund money and replace purchase
Contact Details	Contact Centre	Contact Centre	Contact Centre	Contact Centre	Contact Centre

Six Must-Know Tips For Buying Groceries Online

For many, shopping groceries online can be unfamiliar and many people are reluctant to try it. One reason is due to the fact that you can’t physically see the products you’re buying, which means there’s less certainty about the quality of goods you purchase. That being said, online supermarkets are doing a great job to ensure they keep up the standards and quality of their services in both physical and online stores. On top, the market is competitive, meaning the service levels offered are higher than you may expect from an in-store experience.

To help you Here are some things to consider when shopping groceries online:

Pak’nSave vs Countdown vs New World vs Farro vs The Honest Grocer

Customer service is important for your flexibility (and orders may arrive late or be rescheduled)

Having a great and accessible customer service centre/support person is essential. This can be very helpful if you need to change an order, track a late delivery or ask for a replacement or refund in cases of damaged food items or misorders. Online supermarkets avoid email/contact form support and it's rare you'll go back-and-forth to solve an issue.

Delivery fees vary between online supermarkets

Online supermarkets each have different delivery fee structures. Some may offer a flat fee, have a tiered pricing model based on your shopping cart amount or provide unlimited deliveries through purchasing a monthly membership subscription. Whatever it may be, make sure to read through the website’s FAQs and/or terms and conditions to know exactly what you are paying for as costs can add up quite quickly.

Timing and delivery options need to be flexible for both you and the online supermarket

Shopping groceries is all about saving time and convenience. And that begins by learning the timing of delivery for the specific online grocer you choose. Some allow you to track your deliveries and receive orders within a specific delivery window while others don’t allow that flexibility due to staff shortage or delivery volumes. In that case, you may need to schedule yourself around those times or have a set location you’re comfortable for drivers to drop off your groceries when you’re not at home.

Double (and triple check) your order

User error is one of the most common issues when it comes to shopping groceries online. It's easy to accidentally select one apple instead of one kilogram of apples etc. Or maybe you thought a certain item was priced by quantity instead of weight. Just before you checkout, make sure to scan your entire shopping cart.

Orders are first-come-first-serve

In some cases, ordering early in the morning is the best way to ensure that your orders are fresh. That’s because grocery stores typically restock overnight. To improve your odds of finding all the freshest items on your shopping list, you can try creating your order at the earliest delivery slot.

Make sure you get everything you paid for

Upon receiving your delivery or pick-up order, go through each item in your shopping list against the items you’ve received. Mistakes do happen and so if you were charged for something you didn’t receive, head to the customer centre of your online supermarket to receive a refund.

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