September was the month the gap between PAK'nSAVE and Woolworths narrowed, and it was specials that narrowed it, not shelf tags. PAK'nSAVE was still the cheaper chain every day, by about nine percent on identical products. Regular prices crept up by a fraction of a percent at all three chains again, frozen food and household goods rose at the Foodstuffs stores, spring took the price off tomatoes and asparagus, baby food and nappies got cheaper at PAK'nSAVE, and two litres of milk now costs less at Woolworths than at PAK'nSAVE.
The gap What moved Staples Biggest movers Specials Store to store Method
1. PAK'nSAVE vs Woolworths: the gap narrowed by a point
On identical products, same brand and same pack size, Woolworths charged a median 9.3% more than PAK'nSAVE in September, down from 10.1% in August. PAK'nSAVE was still the cheaper chain on every one of the 29 days we have clean data for, and cheaper on 78% of the individual products on a typical day.
The chart is two months in one. Up to 13 September the daily figure sat around ten percent, as it had all through August, with the familiar dip each Monday when both chains roll their specials. On Monday 14 September it dropped a full point, to 9.1%, and it stayed between 9.0% and 9.4% for the rest of the month. It did not bounce back the way the Monday dips always had.
The step came from specials, not shelf tags. On the 181 matched products that were off special at both chains on both the Sunday and the Monday, the gap was 9.1% before and 9.1% after. What changed was the mix: from that Monday more of the matched products were on special at Woolworths and not at PAK'nSAVE, and the median moved with them. On products neither chain had on special, Woolworths was about eleven to twelve percent dearer all month, easing slightly to 11.0% by 30 September. Specials are what bring the headline figure down to nine.
This is measured at Woolworths' Club price where one applies. A shopper without a Club card faces a larger gap, not a smaller one.
2. What moved on the shelf tag
We priced every product that was on the shelf on both 31 August and 30 September, same pack, at each chain's reference store, and looked only at lines that were not on special on either day, so a change is the shelf tag itself moving rather than a promotion starting or ending.
| Chain | Regular-price lines | Rose | Fell | Unchanged | Mean change | All lines (incl. specials) | Mean change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PAK'nSAVE | 6,102 | 12% | 10% | 79% | +0.3% | 9,051 | +1.1% |
| New World | 9,336 | 7% | 3% | 90% | +0.3% | 14,216 | +0.5% |
| Woolworths | 8,834 | 7% | 5% | 88% | +0.2% | 16,584 | +1.8% |
Same product, same pack, priced at the reference store on 31 August and again on 30 September. "Regular-price" means the item was not on special on either date, so the change is a shelf-tag change rather than a promotion starting or ending. "Rose" and "fell" are moves of more than half a percent.
Most tags did not move. Rises again outnumbered cuts at all three chains, but by less than in August: at PAK'nSAVE 12% of regular-price lines rose and 10% fell, close to even. The net drift was a fraction of a percent everywhere (+0.3% at PAK'nSAVE, +0.3% at New World, +0.2% at Woolworths). Including specials the picture is noisier (21% of PAK'nSAVE lines were dearer on 30 September than 31 August, 19% cheaper), which is mostly which items happened to be on special on each date.
| Aisle | PAK'nSAVE rose | fell | Woolworths rose | fell |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frozen | 30% | 14% | 8% | 4% |
| Pantry | 16% | 8% | 4% | 3% |
| Household & Cleaning | 10% | 3% | 13% | 3% |
| Meat, Poultry & Seafood | 8% | 2% | – | – |
| Fruit & Vegetables | 15% | 12% | 15% | 24% |
| Snacks, Treats & Easy Meals | 16% | 14% | – | – |
| Bakery | 1% | 0% | 9% | 5% |
| Hot & Cold Drinks | 11% | 11% | 4% | 5% |
| Pets | 4% | 9% | 4% | 4% |
| Fridge, Deli & Eggs | 10% | 16% | 12% | 14% |
| Health & Body | 8% | 16% | 5% | 2% |
| Baby & Toddler | 0% | 21% | 1% | 3% |
Share of regular-price lines in each aisle that rose or fell between 31 August and 30 September. Aisles with fewer than 100 comparable lines are left out. Beer, wine and cider is tracked but not reported here.
Four aisles carry the month.
- Frozen food rose at the Foodstuffs stores. Three in ten regular-price frozen lines at PAK'nSAVE rose, and more than a fifth at New World, against fewer than one in ten at Woolworths. Two different things are mixed in. McCain and Sealord went up at all three chains, which is the maker: McCain Winter Vegetables 1 kg from $5.29 to $5.49 at PAK'nSAVE, $6.59 to $7.09 at New World and $6.60 to $6.99 at Woolworths; Sealord hoki fish bites 400 g from $9.69 to $10.99 at PAK'nSAVE and $10.30 to $11.49 at Woolworths. Ice cream is the other thing. It rose at PAK'nSAVE and New World (Tip Top Joy Bars and Polar Pies from $8.49 to $9.69 a six-pack, Much Moore Marvels 2 L from $4.29 to $4.99, Magnum and Duck Island tubs up twenty cents at New World), while at Woolworths the ice cream tags that moved went down. Same products, opposite directions, heading into summer: that points at the retailer, not the maker.
- Household goods rose everywhere, and New World cut almost nothing. Chux at both Foodstuffs chains (Magic Eraser 8-pack from $3.49 to $3.79 at PAK'nSAVE and $3.99 to $4.39 at New World), Janola bleach at New World (Power Clean 1 L from $6.99 to $7.89), Glad Wrap at Woolworths (60 m refill from $6.99 to $7.49), and PAK'nSAVE's own Pams paper towels ($1.79 to $2.29) and bin liners ($1.69 to $2.09). One reversal from August: the 400 ml Morning Fresh dishwashing liquid that went from $2.49 to $3.99 at PAK'nSAVE last month was $2.68 by 30 September.
- Baby food and nappies got cheaper at PAK'nSAVE. Not one regular-price baby and toddler line rose there, and a fifth fell: Wattie's For Baby 120 g pouches from $2.09 to $1.79, Pams nappies from $16.49 to $14.99 a pack, Rascals Premium from $9.49 to $8.99. The same aisle barely moved at New World or Woolworths.
- Spring reached the produce aisle. A sixth of New World's and nearly a quarter of Woolworths' regular-price fruit and vegetable lines fell: loose tomatoes from $13.49 to $8.19 a kilo at New World, asparagus from $9.99 to $5.99 for 250 g, Driscoll's blueberries from $13.49 to $6.99 a punnet. Onions and potatoes went the other way at Woolworths (brown onions from $2.49 to $3.60 a kilo, red potatoes from $6.50 to $9.50 for 2 kg), as did Granny Smith apples at PAK'nSAVE ($3.99 to $6.99 a kilo). That is the season, not pricing strategy.
3. The staples
Thirteen grade-locked staples, the same cut or the same pack at each chain, priced on 31 August and 30 September.
| Staple | PAK'nSAVE | New World | Woolworths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard milk, 2 L | $4.74 | $4.72▼ 2% was $4.82 | $4.72▼ 2% was $4.82 |
| Pure butter, 500 g | $7.29 | $7.49 | $7.49 |
| Free-range eggs, dozen | $8.99 | – | $8.90 special |
| Beef mince (prime), per kg | $26.99 | – | $20.25▼ 1% was $20.50 |
| Chicken thighs (bone-in), per kg | – | – | $12.70 |
| Chicken breast (skinless), per kg | $12.99 | – | $15.40 |
| Chicken drumsticks, per kg | – | – | $8.30▲ 73% special ended was $4.79 |
| Beef rump steak, per kg | $31.99▲ 23% special ended was $25.99 | $26.99▼ 27% special was $36.99 | $36.99 |
| Beef porterhouse steak, per kg | $39.99▼ 2% was $40.99 | $49.99 | $44.99▼ 10% special was $49.99 |
| Lamb shoulder chops, per kg | $19.99▼ 9% was $21.99 | $24.99 | $23.99▲ 0% was $23.95 |
| Middle bacon, per kg | – | – | – |
| Broccoli, each | $1.99▲ 11% special ended was $1.79 | – | $1.80▼ 40% was $3.00 |
| Avocado (Hass), each | $0.89▼ 55% special was $1.99 | – | $1.99▲ 101% was $0.99 |
Price on 30 September at each chain's reference store, with the change since 31 August. ★ marks the cheapest chain that day. Grade-locked pairs: the same cut or the same pack, not a "closest equivalent". Woolworths prices are Club prices where they apply.
- Milk crossed over. New World and Woolworths cut two litres of standard milk from $4.82 to $4.72; PAK'nSAVE stayed at $4.74. In August PAK'nSAVE was eight cents cheaper. On the single most-bought item in the country it is now the dearest of the three, by two cents. Fresh milk eased generally at Woolworths (Anchor trim 2 L from $6.03 to $5.69) while long-life milk and milk powder rose (Anchor UHT 1 L from $3.79 to $4.60, Anchor standard milk powder 1 kg from $16.39 to $18.00).
- Butter held. After August's cut, a 500 g block was $7.29 at PAK'nSAVE and $7.49 at New World and Woolworths on both dates.
- Beef mince is still the staple Woolworths wins, by more. $20.25 a kilo against $26.99 at PAK'nSAVE. Chicken breast still goes the other way, $12.99 against $15.40. PAK'nSAVE cut lamb shoulder chops from $21.99 to $19.99 a kilo, on the shelf tag rather than as a special.
- Steak is specials again. PAK'nSAVE rump reads as a big rise ($25.99 to $31.99) because its August special ended. New World's rump went on special at $26.99 and Woolworths' porterhouse at $44.99, and PAK'nSAVE's porterhouse shelf price of $39.99 still beat Woolworths' special.
- Two blanks. PAK'nSAVE's reference store stopped listing its bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks online on 22 September, so those cells are empty rather than filled with a different cut.
4. Biggest movers
Largest regular-price changes between 31 August and 30 September, items that started at $2 or more, one entry per product. The PAK'nSAVE rises lean to personal care (Pantene, Oral-B, Claratyne) alongside spring produce; the New World falls are almost all produce. Woolworths' top rises start with bakeware and stationery before the produce, and its falls are Halloween costumes and decorations halved on the shelf tag a month before Halloween; those are not groceries and are shown for completeness.
Up
| PAK'nSAVE | 31 Aug | 30 Sep | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Granny Smith Apples kg | $3.99 | $6.99 | +75% |
| Sea Salt Pressed Pretzels Multi Pack Macy and Tailor 8 x 15g | $3.49 | $5.99 | +72% |
| Coffee Coconut Water Cocobella 1l | $2.99 | $4.99 | +67% |
| Allergy Hayfever Relief Antihistamine Tablets Claratyne 10pk | $8.79 | $13.99 | +59% |
| Extra Sensitive Clean Rechargeable Toothbrush Oral-B 1pk | $34.89 | $54.99 | +58% |
| Dishwand Non-Scratch Refills Chux 3pk | $3.59 | $5.59 | +56% |
| Pro-V 3 Minute Miracle Repair & Protect With Collagen Daily Intensive Conditioner Pantene 600ml | $13.49 | $20.59 | +53% |
| Miracles Hyaluron Clarify & Hydrate Shampoo Pantene 650ml | $13.49 | $20.59 | +53% |
| New World | 31 Aug | 30 Sep | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neenish Tarts Kaye's 6pk | $8.49 | $14.79 | +74% |
| Baba Tofu & Vegetable Ready Meal Allgot 230g | $5.49 | $8.19 | +49% |
| Firelighters Little Lucifer 24pk | $5.99 | $8.69 | +45% |
| Gator Cloth Duct Tape 36mm x 4.2m Holdfast 1pk | $3.59 | $5.14 | +43% |
| Natural Brazils Mother Earth 150g | $7.99 | $10.99 | +38% |
| Lemon Dish Wash Sunlight 2l | $7.29 | $9.99 | +37% |
| Crown Pumpkin ea | $4.79 | $6.49 | +36% |
| Biersticks Original Air-Dried Beef Snacks Canterbury Biltong 100g | $9.79 | $12.99 | +33% |
| Woolworths | 31 Aug | 30 Sep | |
|---|---|---|---|
| chelsea winter cake pan non stick springform 24cm tin chelsea winter Each | $5.00 | $17.00 | +240% |
| paper craft weekly planner bold paper craft 30 sheets | $2.30 | $4.50 | +96% |
| little bit extra clips butterfly little bit extra 6pack | $4.00 | $7.00 | +75% |
| mrs greens salad croutons classic caesar mrs greens 120g | $2.99 | $4.49 | +50% |
| tilda microwave rice mexican chili & bean tilda 250g | $2.35 | $3.50 | +49% |
| fresh vegetable potatoes red fresh vegetable 2kg | $6.50 | $9.50 | +46% |
| fresh fruit kiwifruit green fresh fruit 680g | $3.80 | $5.50 | +45% |
| fresh vegetable onions brown fresh vegetable per kg | $2.49 | $3.60 | +45% |
Down
| PAK'nSAVE | 31 Aug | 30 Sep | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turnip White kg | $12.98 | $3.99 | -69% |
| Angel Naturally Sweet Tomatoes Beekist 200g | $6.99 | $3.99 | -43% |
| Mince With Chicken In Gravy Cat Food Pams 700g | $3.39 | $1.99 | -41% |
| Mince With Beef In Gravy Cat Food Pams 700g | $3.39 | $1.99 | -41% |
| Mince With Lamb In Gravy Cat Food Pams 700g | $3.39 | $1.99 | -41% |
| Mince With Tuna & Sardine In Gravy Cat Food Pams 700g | $3.39 | $1.99 | -41% |
| Squash Pumpkin ea | $4.99 | $2.99 | -40% |
| Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream Moisturiser Olay 50g | $56.99 | $34.99 | -39% |
| New World | 31 Aug | 30 Sep | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blueberries Driscolls 125g | $13.49 | $6.99 | -48% |
| Jazz Junior Apples 6ea | $5.99 | $3.39 | -43% |
| Eggplant (Aubergine) ea | $6.99 | $3.99 | -43% |
| Sweet Baby Broccoli 250g | $5.49 | $3.29 | -40% |
| Bunched Asparagus 250g | $9.99 | $5.99 | -40% |
| Loose Red Tomatoes kg | $13.49 | $8.19 | -39% |
| Red Truss Tomatoes kg | $13.49 | $8.19 | -39% |
| Cauliflower Half ea | $2.99 | $1.89 | -37% |
| Woolworths | 31 Aug | 30 Sep | |
|---|---|---|---|
| copper kettle deep ridge chips roast chicken & burnt butter copper kettle deep ridge 150g | $5.20 | $2.50 | -52% |
| woolworths halloween costume kids felt mask cat woolworths Each | $3.50 | $1.70 | -51% |
| woolworths halloween costume kids felt mask spider woolworths Each | $3.50 | $1.70 | -51% |
| woolworths halloween costume kids felt mask unicorn woolworths Each | $3.50 | $1.70 | -51% |
| woolworths halloween decorations tinsel tabletop pumpkin woolworths Each | $4.50 | $2.20 | -51% |
| woolworths halloween decorations paper garland characters woolworths Each | $5.00 | $2.50 | -50% |
| woolworths halloween decorations spider webs glow woolworths Each | $6.00 | $3.00 | -50% |
| woolworths halloween decorations warning tape woolworths Each | $4.00 | $2.00 | -50% |
5. Specials: how much, and how deep
| Chain | Catalogue on special, typical day | Mean discount | Median discount | Products seen both on and off special |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PAK'nSAVE | 23.2% | 20.4% | 18.9% | 6,131 |
| New World | 25.8% | not measurable, see note | 10,153 | |
| Woolworths | 36.6% | 23.0% | 21.1% | 12,565 |
On a typical September day Woolworths had 36.6% of its catalogue on special, PAK'nSAVE 23.2% and New World 25.8%, each within a point of August. When something was on special the discount was about a fifth off the shelf price at both PAK'nSAVE (mean 20.4%) and Woolworths (mean 23.0%). New World's online "special" flag still does not reliably carry a different price in the data we can read, so we do not publish a discount figure for it.
Section 1 is why this matters. On products neither chain has on special, Woolworths is about eleven percent dearer than PAK'nSAVE. Its specials, a third of the range at about a fifth off, are what pull the median down to nine, and in September a few more of them landed on products PAK'nSAVE also sells. On the items on special that week, Woolworths is often the cheaper store. On everything else, it is not. Which is why the useful question is never "which chain is cheaper" but "which chain is cheaper for the things on my list this week", and that is what the tool answers.
6. Same chain, different store
PAK'nSAVE prices each store separately, and we read all of them. On 2026-09-30 we priced the 1,044 products every store stocked at all 45 stores.
| Cheapest five stores | 1,044-item basket |
|---|---|
| Tauriko (Tauranga) | $5,906.95 |
| Petone | $5,917.48 |
| Manukau | $5,928.10 |
| Lower Hutt | $5,933.50 |
| Porirua | $5,940.99 |
| Dearest five stores | same basket |
|---|---|
| Sylvia Park | $6,006.69 |
| Kaitaia | $6,007.73 |
| Alderman Drive (Henderson) | $6,011.79 |
| Clarence Street (Hamilton) | $6,013.77 |
| Riccarton (Christchurch) | $6,292.17 |
Every PAK'nSAVE store on 30 September 2026, priced on the 1,044 products all 45 stores stocked that day. Riccarton stands for the whole South Island: all 13 South Island stores share one price list, which the weekly zone audit re-proves.
How far apart the same product is priced across stores
| Of 4,750 products stocked in 40+ stores | products | share |
|---|---|---|
| more than 10% apart | 3,391 | 71% |
| more than 25% apart | 1,879 | 40% |
| more than 50% apart | 631 | 13% |
| more than 100% apart | 128 | 3% |
| Aisle | median spread | products |
|---|---|---|
| Fruit & Vegetables | 85% | 52 |
| Health & Body | 31% | 542 |
| Meat, Poultry & Seafood | 28% | 62 |
| Bakery | 25% | 125 |
| Baby & Toddler | 23% | 127 |
| Household & Cleaning | 22% | 389 |
| Hot & Cold Drinks | 20% | 480 |
| Frozen | 19% | 310 |
| Pantry | 18% | 1,378 |
| Snacks, Treats & Easy Meals | 18% | 483 |
| Pets | 17% | 168 |
| Fridge, Deli & Eggs | 13% | 504 |
The widest spreads
| Product | cheapest store | dearest store | spread |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium Eco Bay Leaves | $0.50 | $3.95 | 690% |
| Granny Smith Apples | $0.99 | $6.99 | 606% |
| Kisses Creamy Milk Chocolate Gift Pouch | $0.99 | $6.79 | 586% |
| Loose Garlic | $7.99 | $49.99 | 526% |
| Crispy Salad With Kiwi Dressing | $1.00 | $5.99 | 499% |
| Green Cabbage | $0.99 | $4.99 | 404% |
| Ginger | $1.99 | $9.99 | 402% |
| Broccoli | $0.49 | $2.29 | 367% |
The shape from August held, with different names at the ends. Across the North Island the cheapest and dearest PAK'nSAVE on that basket were 1.8% apart: Tauriko in Tauranga at the bottom, Petone a close second, Clarence Street in Hamilton at the top. The South Island is still a different price list, 6.5% above Tauriko and 4.6% above the dearest North Island store, and that is every South Island PAK'nSAVE, not one store. The basket is smaller than August's because fewer products were stocked in every store that day; within the month it is still like for like.
Per item, the spread is far wider than per basket. Of 4,750 products stocked in forty or more stores, 3,391 were priced more than ten percent apart between the cheapest and dearest store, and 631 more than fifty percent apart. Loose garlic ran from $7.99 to $49.99 a kilo. Produce varies the most and the fridge, deli and eggs aisle the least. This is why a small, specific shopping list can be worth a drive and a big general one usually is not.
7. Method, and what to be careful with
- Source. The same public shelf prices each retailer shows on its own website, read once a night for every store. PAK'nSAVE 10,128 products on 29 clean days, New World 15,921 on 29, Woolworths 17,323 on 30.
- Like-for-like. The chain gap uses only strictly matched pairs: same brand, same pack size, high name similarity, compared on price per unit. Every matched pair is published on the how it works page. Own-brand ranges are never silently cross-matched.
- Matched pairs change. The pair list is rebuilt every night as products are added and checked, so the prior month is recomputed on the current pairs. That is why August reads 10.1% here and 10.2% in the August report; both months above are on the same pairs.
- Reference stores. Chain-level figures use PAK'nSAVE Lower Hutt and the North Island price lists for New World and Woolworths. The store-to-store section reads every PAK'nSAVE.
- Specials. Prices are what you would pay at the till that day, including specials and Woolworths Club prices. The "regular price" figures in sections 2 and 4 exclude any item on special on either date.
- Days dropped. A day is excluded for a chain when the night's read came back more than ten percent short, rather than averaged in. No PAK'nSAVE or New World read was recorded for 11 September, so that day is missing from their series.
- pns 2026-09-11 missing: no load that night
- nw 2026-09-11 missing: no load that night
- nw: promo flag carries no price effect for most products (median discount 0), discount figures not publishable
- Reproducible. Every number here comes from one script run against the price database, and the raw upstream responses are kept. If you want a figure checked or cut a different way, ask.
Next report: October 2026, early November. The live comparison at isitworththetrip.nz updates every night; the cheapest-in-NZ pages update with it.
Built by Iterate
We're Iterate, practical technology for New Zealand small businesses. This report comes from the same nightly price series that runs is it worth the trip?, an independent tool that prices a whole shop, petrol and time included, at your nearest PAK'nSAVE, New World and Woolworths. No retailer pays us.
→ iterate.nz