With grocery prices making a disproportionate dent in Kiwi wallets, the Commerce Commission’s first annual grocery report released last month, and the sector now worth $25 billion, how did we get here? From dancing fruit to queues for Costco, Nikki Birrell takes a look back at where we’ve done our shopping over the years and what’s changed. The New Zealand supermarket industry has come a long way, from the first self-service stores to the present day, with the industry now worth $25 billion. Along the way, these supermarkets have left an indelible mark on Kiwi culture, from catchy jingles to quirky mascots, including giant plastic cows.
Here’s a timeline of how it all unfolded, peppered with a few memorable moments, and where we’re at now. 1950s-1960s: The dawn of self-service supermarkets.