Doina - Guide for Newcomers to New Zealand (Auckland)

Neighborhood Supermarkets:

Pak'nSave – cheap, but it looks a bit industrial. The basic goods are the same as elsewhere, but sometimes it has very good discounts and promotions.

New World – owned by the same corporation as Pak'nSave, but they have a wider range of products and the stores look more modern.

Countdown – middle-of-the-road supermarket, some are better stocked than others, depending on the area and size.

Four Square – owned by the same company as Countdown, but the stores are smaller and have fewer products.

Costco – one store in Auckland, located in Westgate. To shop there, an annual membership is required ($60 per household). Prices are good, but the products are large or jumbo-sized (similar to Metro).

Furniture and Home Products:

Farmers – NZ department store – furniture, electronics, kitchen utensils.

The Warehouse – furniture and other useful products at very low prices.

Briscoes – kitchen and home products, always having sales.

Bunnings and Mitre10 – DIY shops with materials, tools, and hardware (similar to Dedeman and Bricostore in Romania).

Freedom Furniture – higher quality furniture.

Spotlight – home items, materials, haberdashery, pretty much everything you need for the house.

Harvey Norman – furniture and appliances, electronics, televisions, etc. Pretty much everything that plugs into the wall.

Noel Leeming – home appliances.

PB Tech – electronics and everything related to computers.

Gourmet and Specialty Stores:

Aussie Butcher (https://theaussiebutcher.com/) – a butcher shop with a wide variety of meat products. They have stores in almost all major neighborhoods.

Farro Fresh (https://www.farro.co.nz/) – quality goods, above average, including European products, but a bit more expensive. They have several stores in Auckland.

Skazka (https://www.skazka.co.nz/) – an Eastern European store, with products including those from Romania. They have one store in Newmarket.

Howick Village Grocer (33 Picton Street, Howick) – fresh vegetables, European products, and a wide variety of cheeses.

EURODELL Fine Foods Retail Store (https://eurodell.co.nz/) – a store with high-quality European products.

Gastronomy (https://gastronomy.nz/) – a Russian store, with all kinds of delicious items (they have their own kitchen and make fresh products every day, such as pies, salads, cakes, etc.).

Hesari Supermarket (https://hesarionline.co.nz/) – Mediterranean & Middle Eastern. Many products we're familiar with, including Ariel detergent. It is located in Wairau Park, North Shore.

Taste Greece (https://tastegreece.co.nz/) – a Greek store in Browns Bay.

Bin Inn (https://www.bininn.co.nz/) – pantry goods: nuts, seeds, spices, flour, corn grits (or polenta), niche items, etc.

Abella Foods – 14 Cortina Place, Pakuranga – many Romanian products, including vanilla sugar and zacusca.