Four Square: New Zealand’s Favourite Supermarket

The first supermarkets in NZ appeared in the 1920s under the Four Square brand. Although, back then, there wasn’t a lot of super in supermarket! Fast forward a century and there’s plenty on offer.

Now we’re used to mega supermarkets with aisle upon aisle of goodies. Most suburbs have a pick of supermarkets, both large and small. Some offer lower prices, while others target butcher-quality meat and fresh fruit and veggies to rival local famers’ markets.

So as the cost of grocery staples continues to rise, and supermarkets are under the spotlight, which supermarket chain offers the best in quality produce, value for money and great service?

As part of our mission to help consumers make the right choice, Canstar Blue surveyed Kiwi supermarket customers to rate their experiences across the following categories:

• Overall Satisfaction
• Value for Money
• Customer Service & Accessibility of Staff
• Deals/Specials Available
• Layout & Presentation of Store
• Freshness of Produce
• Variety of Products

Coming out on top and winning Canstar Blue’s 2022 award for Most Satisfied Customers | Supermarkets is Four Square.

Proving that it’s not all about size, Four Square’s supermarkets may not be the biggest retail outlets, but they are the best. Typically smaller in size, and a popular choice in the regions, Four Square is the only supermarket in our award to earn a top 5-Star rating for Overall Satisfaction.

Four Square also earns an additional 5-Star rating for Customer Service & Accessibility of Staff, and two 4-Star ratings for Deals/Specials Available and Layout & Presentation of Store.

New Zealand’s favourite supermarkets

Here are New Zealand’s favourite supermarkets, based on our survey results:

1. Four Square
2. PAK’nSAVE
3. New World
4. FreshChoice
5. Countdown

Four Square may be our award winner, but the competition is stiff. Both PAK’nSAVE and New World earn 4-Star Overall Satisfaction ratings, as well as numerous 5-Star ratings.

Both FreshChoice and Countdown earn 3 Stars for Overall Satisfaction.

Top Providers: Supermarkets

Below is an overview of the top supermarkets, according to our survey results.

Four Square

Four Square has been part of the New Zealand grocery landscape for close to a century. Founded in the 1920s as a collective with the aim of delivering the best prices to Kiwi consumers, it’s now part of Foodstuffs, the country’s largest grocery retailer.

Nationwide, the Four Square chain comprises more than 230 locally owned and operated businesses. The stores range from small corner dairies, to larger urban stores, each delivering the great prices and customer service Kiwis have come to expect from the iconic brand.

In this year’s survey, it scores an excellent 5-Star Overall Satisfaction rating to take out top honours, as Canstar Blue’s Most Satisfied Customers | Supermarkets Award winner.

PAK’nSAVE

PAK’nSAVE’s unmissable big yellow buildings can be found in cities across the country. Known for its low prices and great bargains, PAK’nSAVE scores 5-Stars for both categories in our survey: Value for Money, and Deals/Specials Available.

Although PAK’nSAVE is primarily seen as a stack-’em-high and sell-’em-cheap retailer, prioritising low-cost groceries, it still scores excellently in our awards survey. It earns 4-Stars for Store Layout, Food Freshness and Variety of Products.

For further savings, PAK’nSAVE petrol stations can be found at many PAK’nSAVE stores, offering fuel discounts when you shop at PAK’nSAVE supermarkets.

New World

Known for being a more premium option (scoring just 3 Stars for Value for Money), New World supermarkets offer some of the best quality products of any supermarket: from fresh fruit and premium cuts of meat, to an expansive range of organic, gluten-free and health products, to its famous bakeries.

In this year’s award, New World earns a whopping four 5-Star ratings, for: Customer Service & Accessibility of Staff, Layout & Presentation of Store, Freshness of Fruit, Vegetables & Meat and Variety of Products. All areas you’d expect the retailer to excel in.

New World earns 4 Stars for Overall Satisfaction.

FreshChoice

“Where fresh meets local” is the motto of FreshChoice supermarkets. And it sums up what consumers can expect from the grocery chain. While Fresh Choice doesn’t have the same number of shops as its supermarket-giant rivals, Fresh Choice stores can be found in many suburban locations across the country.

Offering quality produce, and local service, FreshChoice is a great destination for your local shop. In this year’s awards, it is one of only two retailers to earn a 5-Star rating for Food Freshness.

FreshChoice scores 3 Stars for Overall Satisfaction and 4 Stars for Value for Money, Customer Service & Accessibility of Staff, Deals/Specials and Store Layout.

Countdown

One of New Zealand’s largest supermarket chains, Countdown has been serving Kiwis since 1929. Its One Card membership program offers regular discounts and deals, as well as fuel discounts thanks to its partnership with the AA. Additionally, some Countdown locations have in-store chemists, which offer a full pharmacy service at a great price.

In this year’s survey, Countdown earns 3-Star ratings for Overall Satisfaction and Value for Money, and 4 Stars in all other categories.

For our full Supermarket Awards, click here!

About the author of this page

This report was written by Canstar Content Producer, Andrew Broadley. Andrew is an experienced writer with a wide range of industry experience. Starting out, he cut his teeth working as a writer for print and online magazines, and he has worked in both journalism and editorial roles. His content has covered lifestyle and culture, marketing and, more recently, finance for Canstar.