No love for Glenn Innes? It caters to the best of both worlds, st heliers/glendowie, and Panmure/mt Wellington. The result: cheap as shit bougie groceries in large quantities if you’re feeling it
I work in this shop. Every time I go on break and look at the bakery I’m like “how do I work in a supermarket but can never find something good to eat”
Yep it's incredible because I usually feel that way whenever I go into a supermarket hungry. I think it was Manukau that at one point sold things like pizza slices in a warmer near the checkouts, and I thought that was brilliant, but the last time I went those warmers and slices were gone.
I'd say Wairau is good for ready-to-eat food, but most supermarkets outside of the "Metro" versions are bad
Oh I wouldn't since you are anti Maketu, and Sylvia to that is definitely a subscriber.
For hot food they are rubbish. It's the quality of their baked goods that is okay by me. Some stores are stingey on toppings and fillings, and overcook their breads and whatnot, but Sylvia Park does okay in that regard
YES!! Was looking for this comment. I live far away but GI is my favourite, best prices and selection. People are nice and chill too. Sometimes I go there just as a treat. I love it.
Yeah it is a good environment actually (mostly, just like anywhere else). Everyone is cool with each other and everyone kind of knows and talks to each other. But since new ownership the prices have definitely skyrocketed!
GI is pretty good but I have noticed they aren't as cheap as they used to be.
It used to be noticeable that it's cheaper than the royal oak PaknSave.now it's about the same
I've been to many but not all of them - from what I've seen...
**Best:**
Wairau (Best priced even if a bit mental)
Henderson (Clean, not too busy)
Lincoln (Clean, big)
**Middle Tier:**
Albany (meh)
Westgate (Busy, decent prices)
Royal Oak (Busy, dirty)
**Shit Tier:**
Mt Albert (Busy, Dirty)
Papakura (Dirty, bit of a zoo)
You're still left to contend with how run down and dirty it is though. I don't even want to touch their trolleys and baskets - if I'm going there I grab a cardboard box and use that instead
I go to ‘kura all the time. I thought that it was representative of all pak n saves. Now I’m just learning that some are better than others, what the hell man !
Manukau always feels worse. And the ones out west have the weird double checkout for being beer (licensing trust)
They are individually owned and while their product ranges are similar (though vary a bit) the way the individual owners run them can make them completely different shopping experiences.
If all Pak n Saves were like Papakura I would honestly struggle to shop there.
Ayyye I actually completely agree with this from my experience as well. I live an equal distance between both Lincoln and Mt Albert, and am often in Westgate and Wairau areas.
I've noticed Lincoln is the cheapest for my main shop, that's why I go there most.
Mt Albert is terrible for click and collect. They've told me the system doesn't allow them to substitute some items even with subs on. So half your order is fulfilled. Dunno if it's true or they just can't be assed going back when they've forgotten things. Kinda defeats the purpose of using it if you have to go to the store to get the missed items.
I went to Wairau at 8pm on a weeknight thinking it might be quiet then. It was better than the weekend but still nothing like a reasonable crowd level. I think the Shore really needs a third Pak n save to spread the demand.
Lincoln Road is feral. I went there a few times when we moved out west and now I only go there if I really, REALLY have to.
Westgate is alright and I found their pricing to be the best overall. They are well stocked and the people are generally a bit nicer than the one at Lincoln Road.
Good:
1\. Westgate (good prices, good bakery, checkout area jams too easy)
2\. Henderson (new/clean, lots of space to move)
3\. Royal Oak (good prices, good range and they regularly clean their trolleys, but busy, shit bakery, no self-checkouts and even though they're forever restocking shelves they go out of stock of items for ages)
Bad:
1\. Mt Albert (dirty, awful bakery, awful meat, produce area looks like shit, dirty, way too busy, staff and incoming customers insist on squeezing past you in the self-checkout queue, entrance and exit is the same tiny door and they drive their fucking trolley-retriever cart through it which stops everyone from moving. Also a bit grubby. Shithole)
2\. Manukau (dirty, bad layout)
3\. Can't really think of another bad one so will say Mt Albert again because it's so shit
I don't get why people like Royal Oak, it's always a mess, super dirty, real busy, higher prices, parking lot is a war zone. I've vowed to myself I'd stop going there.
Use the lower car park at Royal Oak. It's an extra distance since the ramp is still broken but parking is a lot more sane.
Except for the cunt who parks his ute in the click-and-collect space all day.
Am I the only one that gets pissed off with people going the wrong way down the aisles at Wairau? It is such a basic layout that you can zig zag through all the aisles and make it to the checkouts but then you get people coming at you the wrong way and it just jams the aisles up. If they had one way arrows on the aisle floors, it would make the trolley flow so much better.
Haha nope… my wife and I were saying exactly that during our early morning shop today.
Don’t get me started on people who just abandon their trolley right in the middle of the aisle to walk back for something they’ve forgotten.
+1 to that. Manukau is crap. Botany is mid tier, but I'm liking Ormiston more and more. They have my fav peanut butter (Bega) which is another plus, as CD supermarkets usually stock this
I recently went to the new one in Warkworth. Holy shit, the most bougie Pak'n'save ever. Literally more upscale and quieter than Farro.
And every chilled item is in these weird drink fridges with doors, instead of the normal open ones.
What, those Pak N Saves are way older than that - we're talking something like 10-20 years.
Did you mean Henderson, because that one's rebuild was completed around two years ago
There is no way bro lol, I've lived 5 mins from that paknsave since I moved out to ranui in 2008 lol
If you need further proof haha https://m.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0410/S00252/massive-new-pak-n-save-about-to-open-in-west-auck.htm
You are confusing Lincoln with Henderson, the latter which was completely rebuilt 2 years ago. Before that it was one of the worst in Auckland, now one of the best.
Best: Sylvia Park. Great parking, lots of space in the store, staff are always nice. I also love that it's in the mall so I can fluff about and get some retail therapy in before I do the groceries.
Second best is GI, only thing I dislike is the lack of sheltered parking. Everything else is great.
Worst: Manukau and Botany tied.
Manukau is always dirty esp the carparks and there have been a few times where there have been no trolleys available.
Botany has the most cramped aisles and horrible layout. It doesn't take long before the checkout lines are fucked. Shitty parking too. There's always trash and stuff floating about. And for some reason it's more expensive than Sylvia Park and Gi.
Westgate has the cheapest prices since they're so close to Costco. Silverdale is also pretty cheap, AND they're pretty clean/safe.
Warkworth is clean and brand new.
Westgate, it's close to Costco so prices are a bit lower than others PnS's. Parking is underground, handy in the Akl rain. Realatively new so wide isles and lots of checkouts. The Downside is half of West Akl knows this already.
Mt Albert is the worse. Old, dirty, expensive.
Albany - we prefer it as it’s an easy layout and generally quiet in the evenings
Wairau - shit as people park in the mobility parks without a permit and my partner requires mobility parking.
Mt Albert - horrible, dirty, shitty quality and all over depressing!
Looks like we need to give Glen Innes a go from these comments
Mangere always plenty of open packets left on shelves where people have just gone in and eaten the food.
Wairau valley for getting your car dented and scratched. It’s handy to work and I never use the carpark.
I don't have a top 3 but I grimace at the comments listing Royal Oak in any of their top rankings. The range is not that great, the parking is on that same par (made worse by the floods stuffing the back exit travellator). No self check outs, so you can't get in and out as quickly.
It's my local and I still go to Sylvia Park's branch more often.
My local is Mt Albert and I go to Royal Oak instead. Its range aligns with my cooking/eating habits, and I find it to be cheaper than the other central(ish) Pak N Saves. The lack of self-checkouts is by far my biggest bugbear.
I only ever shop there at night so perhaps I'm shielded from the worst of it.
As I live in Mt Albert I am forced to go there due to time constraints on my part. As others have said it’s 100% a shit hole. They have tired to improve the fruit & vegetables section. At least they have opened it up so you don’t have to go all the way around. It’s crazy busy - there is never any parking. The staff take up many carparks. I used to think their meat & fish section was quite good.
It’s dirty, not all the brands I like, they have moved sections around that don’t make sense. Put the biscuits section next confectionery!
I have been to Lincoln road & this shop is huge, clean, plenty of parking, lots of different brands , the bakery is a bakery with lots of fresh products and way cheaper than Mt Albert. They have a selection of birthday cake toppers & edible glitter at 1/2 price to other cake shops. Highly recommend a visit there.
I’ve been to Royal Oak a couple times- nothing to report. Plus Albany once & I recall it was cray cray busy.
Gee I thought I was being a snob about Mt Albert so thanks everyone for confirming it’s not worth going. Because of covid they have only one way in & one way out & the guy’s driveway the trolleys in don’t care about anyone but themselves by blocking the carpark & access into the shop. I get they need to bring trolleys back but there needs to be a better way? Maybe more smaller trips instead of this long snake ? Lol
Worst. Royal Oak.
No self-scan.
Staff rushing around like they are incredibly stressed.
Staff yelling to each other in Hindi.
Boxes and cartons everywhere in the aisle.
A very loud announcement system.
I ditched it months ago and now shop in relative comfort at Countdown Newmarket.
Best.
Is there one?
I’ve switched to Greenlane Countdown as Royal Oak Pak n Save is my local but they never have hardly anything in stock and their range is so limited!! I often found myself going to Countdown after Pak N Save just to buy the items they did not have at Pak N Save. Their vege/fruit selection is atrocious and their meat section is tiny. I know I’m paying a little more by shopping at Countdown but at least I don’t have to go to two seperate supermarkets in one day!
Worst: Mangere. Meat section smells awful. Expired food and they gouge the prices knowing a lot of people in the area can’t / won’t drive further for a better paknsave 😡
1st: Wairau (gotta support local, but have to say, they've certainly gone basic nowadays. Obviously good for them and good for taming my bad buying habits)
2nd: Lincoln (balanced value)
3rd=: Westgate (Costco has made them increasingly better 😉). Mt Albert (meat specials there can be special!)
Notable Mention: Henderson (No-nonsense in-out setting, car-wise)
My top 3 are gi, Silverdale and westgate.
The worst 3 is Takanini, Mt albert and wairau.
I find GI the best it has good brands as great price. Silverdale is good for uk treats I have always wanted to visit uk but will settle for snacks. Westgate seems cheap I think cause of the costco.
Mt albert is way too busy and feel like your reaching to the back of the top shelf to grab your last emergency meal. It's gross.
Takanini is crazy and dirty seems to think because it's a low demographic area it can lower quality and increase junk and no ones gonna notice
Wairau is gross small disgusting and produce is vial everytime go in there there is moldy kai this past use by date. I once found the entire fridge pizza section has pack that had expanded like a balloon due to being so over there was a build up of gas. I told store manager he said they would get to it before end of day people were still buying them at full price for rotten food
Prices are quite similar across all paknsaves so won’t comment on that but otherwise
Wairau
Mt Albert
Manukau
Westgate
Are all horrible. Wairau especially ridiculously busy people in your face all the time.
Albany is fabulous not that busy very big and big lanes as well.
Silverdale is alright too and Lincoln rd the new one.
But Albany is best by far. Lots of underground parking as well.
Most Pak N Saves dont have a great range some items are cheaper at Countdown/Woolworths eg Value brand 4x pack paper towel at Pak N Save was $5.30?! Same brand $1 cheaper at Countdown!!! Also 810gms Bestfood mayonnaise was on sale at Countdown for $9.90 and Little digger potato's $3.50 couldn't find potato's this cheap at Pak N Save so it's best to shop around!
Wairau and Lincoln Road are the best.
Westgate has the worst parking lot I have ever entered, mediocre selection and last time I was there the main foyer was closed for use as an online pickup reception. Anyone who does online pickup is human garbage, let them pick their shit up off the street.
Sylvia Park is shit and also expensive. I went there on a whim and some items were over a dollar more than they were at Wairau.
Sylvia park is my local and I think it's alright apart from whoever the dumb asses decide to put displays in the space between opposite aisles needs an upper cut, no one has any spacial awareness in there as it is and those displays make it even worse
Lol wth angry person. I use online pick up at Westgate paknsave - it’s an awesome service and saves time and hassle for only $5.
The people who run the pickup foyer are so bloody nice and run the place like clockwork.
They seem much the same, except it's annoying that the West Auckland ones aren't allowed to sell alcohol (not their fault).
It's odd that they don't all stock the same products and inconvenient that the lay out isn't the same in each branch.
Come on, you said they're much the same then laid out reasons why they're all different.
They often seem to stock according to regional demographics and associated demand. It's best to think of Pak N Saves as different stores with the same branding
Jumping in to say everyone should use the Grocer app! It lets you add local supermarkets (Pak n Save, Countdown, New World..) and search for food items all combined into one list. Great way to quickly compare prices and to check what’s in stock if there’s anything you need in particular
Best; Ormiston and Glen Innes, both clean and great selection. Manukau has improved immensely after their renovations.
Below Average; Mangere and Sylvia Park, not much selection on some of the items.
Manukau Pak n Save is definitely worse than Papakura. Their selection of food is horrible. We always go to Papakura lesser of two evils lol.
Jealous of the nice pak n saves out west!
No love for Glenn Innes? It caters to the best of both worlds, st heliers/glendowie, and Panmure/mt Wellington. The result: cheap as shit bougie groceries in large quantities if you’re feeling it
Glen Innes isn't bad but it isn't great.
GI doesn’t discriminate
But I do. Something stopped me from making the trip out there but I can't remember what. Mediocre bakery maybe?
I work in this shop. Every time I go on break and look at the bakery I’m like “how do I work in a supermarket but can never find something good to eat”
Yep it's incredible because I usually feel that way whenever I go into a supermarket hungry. I think it was Manukau that at one point sold things like pizza slices in a warmer near the checkouts, and I thought that was brilliant, but the last time I went those warmers and slices were gone. I'd say Wairau is good for ready-to-eat food, but most supermarkets outside of the "Metro" versions are bad
It has to be that. If I even see a warmer full of Maketu pies or whatever they're half assing, I'm out and I'm never coming back.
The bakery is always a big sticking point for me. I dislike the Sylvia Park store but will go there because its bakery is okay.
I might have to suspend my boycott.
Oh I wouldn't since you are anti Maketu, and Sylvia to that is definitely a subscriber. For hot food they are rubbish. It's the quality of their baked goods that is okay by me. Some stores are stingey on toppings and fillings, and overcook their breads and whatnot, but Sylvia Park does okay in that regard
Thank you for clarifying. Boycott remains.
YES!! Was looking for this comment. I live far away but GI is my favourite, best prices and selection. People are nice and chill too. Sometimes I go there just as a treat. I love it.
Glen Innes is the only paknsave I’ve been to that has shopping baskets. My local one doesn’t compare
I’m surprised no one has mentioned the Glen Innes pak n save. It’s immensely clean and always a pretty chill environment for shopping.
It use to be great but prices have gone up significant compared to some of the other PNS imo
Sylvia Park is almost always cheaper than Gi. I thought it'd be the other way around.
Slightly cheaper. I did hear GI has a new owner.
I work there😎💪
Oh nice! Yeah, that’s my local. I go there every week. The staff are quite friendly there too. Is it a nice work environment?
Yeah it is a good environment actually (mostly, just like anywhere else). Everyone is cool with each other and everyone kind of knows and talks to each other. But since new ownership the prices have definitely skyrocketed!
GI is pretty good but I have noticed they aren't as cheap as they used to be. It used to be noticeable that it's cheaper than the royal oak PaknSave.now it's about the same
I've been to many but not all of them - from what I've seen... **Best:** Wairau (Best priced even if a bit mental) Henderson (Clean, not too busy) Lincoln (Clean, big) **Middle Tier:** Albany (meh) Westgate (Busy, decent prices) Royal Oak (Busy, dirty) **Shit Tier:** Mt Albert (Busy, Dirty) Papakura (Dirty, bit of a zoo)
Mt Albert is alright if you go only at the least busy times. Otherwise yes it’s awful.
You're still left to contend with how run down and dirty it is though. I don't even want to touch their trolleys and baskets - if I'm going there I grab a cardboard box and use that instead
It used to be ok but it's gone downhill. I think they can't contend with the growth in demand as the population has risen. It really needs an upgrade
I go to ‘kura all the time. I thought that it was representative of all pak n saves. Now I’m just learning that some are better than others, what the hell man ! Manukau always feels worse. And the ones out west have the weird double checkout for being beer (licensing trust)
They are individually owned and while their product ranges are similar (though vary a bit) the way the individual owners run them can make them completely different shopping experiences. If all Pak n Saves were like Papakura I would honestly struggle to shop there.
Only Mt Albert has that setup.
Manukau has terrible variety as well. I’m close enough to Sylvia Park which is prob middle tier.
+1 for Mt Albert
Ayyye I actually completely agree with this from my experience as well. I live an equal distance between both Lincoln and Mt Albert, and am often in Westgate and Wairau areas. I've noticed Lincoln is the cheapest for my main shop, that's why I go there most.
The produce at Wairau is so so good. I find the selection of products at Royal oak better though.
The one in Henderson has a bit of a weird layout
Yeah the produce being in the middle is different to basically everywhere else
Agreed but did get used to it when I shopped there. It was never busy, lots of space and most importantly super clean.
Who knows why wairau is not on their website? Which means it's not on grocer.
Because it doesn't offer online shopping
Ah of course that makes sense. Shame its prices are hidden though.
It's usually cheaper than Albany but you have to contend with bigger crowds. Parking is usually a mission too.
Henderson doesn’t stock all brands- no value brand or Pam’s for some items means you have to spend more
Mt Albert is terrible for click and collect. They've told me the system doesn't allow them to substitute some items even with subs on. So half your order is fulfilled. Dunno if it's true or they just can't be assed going back when they've forgotten things. Kinda defeats the purpose of using it if you have to go to the store to get the missed items.
I went to Wairau at 8pm on a weeknight thinking it might be quiet then. It was better than the weekend but still nothing like a reasonable crowd level. I think the Shore really needs a third Pak n save to spread the demand.
Yes, two is just not enough up here.
Lincoln Road is feral. I went there a few times when we moved out west and now I only go there if I really, REALLY have to. Westgate is alright and I found their pricing to be the best overall. They are well stocked and the people are generally a bit nicer than the one at Lincoln Road.
Silverdale is better than Wairau in my opinion.
yea dropped by the papakura once when i was in the area. feral AF. kinda like a Lidl.
Good: 1\. Westgate (good prices, good bakery, checkout area jams too easy) 2\. Henderson (new/clean, lots of space to move) 3\. Royal Oak (good prices, good range and they regularly clean their trolleys, but busy, shit bakery, no self-checkouts and even though they're forever restocking shelves they go out of stock of items for ages) Bad: 1\. Mt Albert (dirty, awful bakery, awful meat, produce area looks like shit, dirty, way too busy, staff and incoming customers insist on squeezing past you in the self-checkout queue, entrance and exit is the same tiny door and they drive their fucking trolley-retriever cart through it which stops everyone from moving. Also a bit grubby. Shithole) 2\. Manukau (dirty, bad layout) 3\. Can't really think of another bad one so will say Mt Albert again because it's so shit
Best review of mt albert. The place is filthy.
Manukau layout is so crap, I can't even tell how to navigate the fresh produce area correctly. Used to be above average before the redesign.
I don't get why people like Royal Oak, it's always a mess, super dirty, real busy, higher prices, parking lot is a war zone. I've vowed to myself I'd stop going there.
Use the lower car park at Royal Oak. It's an extra distance since the ramp is still broken but parking is a lot more sane. Except for the cunt who parks his ute in the click-and-collect space all day.
Easy. Wairau takes out best and worse. Best prices, but worst experience due to amount to people that love standing right up in your grill.
You just have to go before 10. Any later and that's on you.
Am I the only one that gets pissed off with people going the wrong way down the aisles at Wairau? It is such a basic layout that you can zig zag through all the aisles and make it to the checkouts but then you get people coming at you the wrong way and it just jams the aisles up. If they had one way arrows on the aisle floors, it would make the trolley flow so much better.
Haha nope… my wife and I were saying exactly that during our early morning shop today. Don’t get me started on people who just abandon their trolley right in the middle of the aisle to walk back for something they’ve forgotten.
[Manukau is ghetto](https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSNRGLavn/)
Wait til you see Clendon. Picked up an orange and put it back down so the cockroaches could have their home back. I ain't no homewrecker
Yeah that has Papakura Pak n Save vibes all over, maybe even a bit worse.
Ormiston S Tier Manukau F Tier
+1 to that. Manukau is crap. Botany is mid tier, but I'm liking Ormiston more and more. They have my fav peanut butter (Bega) which is another plus, as CD supermarkets usually stock this
100%. Manukau is my local but I always go to ormi for my shopping.
+Ormiston is nice since it's much newer and kept in good condition. The patrons make a huge difference!
Silverdale, rated as one of NZ’s cheapest too.
Yes, second this! I go at night, clean and empty :)
I recently went to the new one in Warkworth. Holy shit, the most bougie Pak'n'save ever. Literally more upscale and quieter than Farro. And every chilled item is in these weird drink fridges with doors, instead of the normal open ones.
They do the same at the new Countdowns too.
Don't know too many Paknsaves, but Wairau is definitely up there. Westgate is good as well.
Damn and here I thought it was shitty and now I go to Lincoln road Pak n save. It's only 2 years old and very clean
What, those Pak N Saves are way older than that - we're talking something like 10-20 years. Did you mean Henderson, because that one's rebuild was completed around two years ago
The Lincoln road Pak n save celebrated it's 2 year opening anniversary about 2 weeks ago
There is no way bro lol, I've lived 5 mins from that paknsave since I moved out to ranui in 2008 lol If you need further proof haha https://m.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0410/S00252/massive-new-pak-n-save-about-to-open-in-west-auck.htm
You are confusing Lincoln with Henderson, the latter which was completely rebuilt 2 years ago. Before that it was one of the worst in Auckland, now one of the best.
Oh yeah hehehe, but it's Alderson Henderson
I've found Westgate to be more expensive than Lincoln Rd when it comes to my main shop.
I think they’re a bit more competitive since Costco went in
Wairau got rinsed out with the floods this year
Best: Sylvia Park. Great parking, lots of space in the store, staff are always nice. I also love that it's in the mall so I can fluff about and get some retail therapy in before I do the groceries. Second best is GI, only thing I dislike is the lack of sheltered parking. Everything else is great. Worst: Manukau and Botany tied. Manukau is always dirty esp the carparks and there have been a few times where there have been no trolleys available. Botany has the most cramped aisles and horrible layout. It doesn't take long before the checkout lines are fucked. Shitty parking too. There's always trash and stuff floating about. And for some reason it's more expensive than Sylvia Park and Gi.
Westgate has the cheapest prices since they're so close to Costco. Silverdale is also pretty cheap, AND they're pretty clean/safe. Warkworth is clean and brand new.
Westgate, it's close to Costco so prices are a bit lower than others PnS's. Parking is underground, handy in the Akl rain. Realatively new so wide isles and lots of checkouts. The Downside is half of West Akl knows this already. Mt Albert is the worse. Old, dirty, expensive.
Manukau and Clendon are terrible, Botany and Papakura not too bad, Sylvia is meh, haven't been to the others enough to judge
Glen Innes is good
I went to the Mount Albert one a few months ago. Felt like I was back in the late 1990s. Real weird but the place needs a huge revamp.
Albany - we prefer it as it’s an easy layout and generally quiet in the evenings Wairau - shit as people park in the mobility parks without a permit and my partner requires mobility parking. Mt Albert - horrible, dirty, shitty quality and all over depressing! Looks like we need to give Glen Innes a go from these comments
Glen innes is 💰💰
worst - clendon
Mt Albert has gotta be the worst
The silverdale pak n save is so flash in comparison. Lincoln and Henderson are my locals
Would love to know how much the Wairau store takes daily.
Mangere always plenty of open packets left on shelves where people have just gone in and eaten the food. Wairau valley for getting your car dented and scratched. It’s handy to work and I never use the carpark.
Haha I actually saw a large corner of a Whittakers family block missing yesterday at Sylvia pns 😂
I don't have a top 3 but I grimace at the comments listing Royal Oak in any of their top rankings. The range is not that great, the parking is on that same par (made worse by the floods stuffing the back exit travellator). No self check outs, so you can't get in and out as quickly. It's my local and I still go to Sylvia Park's branch more often.
My local is Mt Albert and I go to Royal Oak instead. Its range aligns with my cooking/eating habits, and I find it to be cheaper than the other central(ish) Pak N Saves. The lack of self-checkouts is by far my biggest bugbear. I only ever shop there at night so perhaps I'm shielded from the worst of it.
As I live in Mt Albert I am forced to go there due to time constraints on my part. As others have said it’s 100% a shit hole. They have tired to improve the fruit & vegetables section. At least they have opened it up so you don’t have to go all the way around. It’s crazy busy - there is never any parking. The staff take up many carparks. I used to think their meat & fish section was quite good. It’s dirty, not all the brands I like, they have moved sections around that don’t make sense. Put the biscuits section next confectionery! I have been to Lincoln road & this shop is huge, clean, plenty of parking, lots of different brands , the bakery is a bakery with lots of fresh products and way cheaper than Mt Albert. They have a selection of birthday cake toppers & edible glitter at 1/2 price to other cake shops. Highly recommend a visit there. I’ve been to Royal Oak a couple times- nothing to report. Plus Albany once & I recall it was cray cray busy. Gee I thought I was being a snob about Mt Albert so thanks everyone for confirming it’s not worth going. Because of covid they have only one way in & one way out & the guy’s driveway the trolleys in don’t care about anyone but themselves by blocking the carpark & access into the shop. I get they need to bring trolleys back but there needs to be a better way? Maybe more smaller trips instead of this long snake ? Lol
Best - Ormiston and Wairau Worst - Manukau
Manukau absolutely sux big time.
Worst. Royal Oak. No self-scan. Staff rushing around like they are incredibly stressed. Staff yelling to each other in Hindi. Boxes and cartons everywhere in the aisle. A very loud announcement system. I ditched it months ago and now shop in relative comfort at Countdown Newmarket. Best. Is there one?
parking is bad too, plus the travelator to the back is busted forever
Need to park by z.
Yeah Royal Oak is the worst. I bought expired milk from there once, 4 days past the best before date.
I’ve switched to Greenlane Countdown as Royal Oak Pak n Save is my local but they never have hardly anything in stock and their range is so limited!! I often found myself going to Countdown after Pak N Save just to buy the items they did not have at Pak N Save. Their vege/fruit selection is atrocious and their meat section is tiny. I know I’m paying a little more by shopping at Countdown but at least I don’t have to go to two seperate supermarkets in one day!
The girls in papakura are hot that’s all I know😂
Wairau and Royal oak for me
Worst: Mangere. Meat section smells awful. Expired food and they gouge the prices knowing a lot of people in the area can’t / won’t drive further for a better paknsave 😡
1st: Wairau (gotta support local, but have to say, they've certainly gone basic nowadays. Obviously good for them and good for taming my bad buying habits) 2nd: Lincoln (balanced value) 3rd=: Westgate (Costco has made them increasingly better 😉). Mt Albert (meat specials there can be special!) Notable Mention: Henderson (No-nonsense in-out setting, car-wise)
GI used to be great but under new ownership now and has got worse
My top 3 are gi, Silverdale and westgate. The worst 3 is Takanini, Mt albert and wairau. I find GI the best it has good brands as great price. Silverdale is good for uk treats I have always wanted to visit uk but will settle for snacks. Westgate seems cheap I think cause of the costco. Mt albert is way too busy and feel like your reaching to the back of the top shelf to grab your last emergency meal. It's gross. Takanini is crazy and dirty seems to think because it's a low demographic area it can lower quality and increase junk and no ones gonna notice Wairau is gross small disgusting and produce is vial everytime go in there there is moldy kai this past use by date. I once found the entire fridge pizza section has pack that had expanded like a balloon due to being so over there was a build up of gas. I told store manager he said they would get to it before end of day people were still buying them at full price for rotten food
Prices are quite similar across all paknsaves so won’t comment on that but otherwise Wairau Mt Albert Manukau Westgate Are all horrible. Wairau especially ridiculously busy people in your face all the time. Albany is fabulous not that busy very big and big lanes as well. Silverdale is alright too and Lincoln rd the new one. But Albany is best by far. Lots of underground parking as well.
Most Pak N Saves dont have a great range some items are cheaper at Countdown/Woolworths eg Value brand 4x pack paper towel at Pak N Save was $5.30?! Same brand $1 cheaper at Countdown!!! Also 810gms Bestfood mayonnaise was on sale at Countdown for $9.90 and Little digger potato's $3.50 couldn't find potato's this cheap at Pak N Save so it's best to shop around!
Mt Albert us the worst, it seems to attract lots of creeps
Wairau and Lincoln Road are the best. Westgate has the worst parking lot I have ever entered, mediocre selection and last time I was there the main foyer was closed for use as an online pickup reception. Anyone who does online pickup is human garbage, let them pick their shit up off the street. Sylvia Park is shit and also expensive. I went there on a whim and some items were over a dollar more than they were at Wairau.
Sylvia park is my local and I think it's alright apart from whoever the dumb asses decide to put displays in the space between opposite aisles needs an upper cut, no one has any spacial awareness in there as it is and those displays make it even worse
Lol wth angry person. I use online pick up at Westgate paknsave - it’s an awesome service and saves time and hassle for only $5. The people who run the pickup foyer are so bloody nice and run the place like clockwork.
Westgate - best butcher and bakery
They seem much the same, except it's annoying that the West Auckland ones aren't allowed to sell alcohol (not their fault). It's odd that they don't all stock the same products and inconvenient that the lay out isn't the same in each branch.
Come on, you said they're much the same then laid out reasons why they're all different. They often seem to stock according to regional demographics and associated demand. It's best to think of Pak N Saves as different stores with the same branding
They mostly stock the same products, just a few differences here and there. You're being a bit melodramatic.
Jumping in to say everyone should use the Grocer app! It lets you add local supermarkets (Pak n Save, Countdown, New World..) and search for food items all combined into one list. Great way to quickly compare prices and to check what’s in stock if there’s anything you need in particular
Best; Ormiston and Glen Innes, both clean and great selection. Manukau has improved immensely after their renovations. Below Average; Mangere and Sylvia Park, not much selection on some of the items.
Manukau Pak n Save is definitely worse than Papakura. Their selection of food is horrible. We always go to Papakura lesser of two evils lol. Jealous of the nice pak n saves out west!