The Warehouse drops price of basic groceries as cost of living skyrockets
With record-high inflation and the cost of living skyrocketing many retailers are increasing their prices - but one is bucking the trend.
The Warehouse announced on Tuesday it would be dropping the price on several key grocery items.
The Warehouse Group CEO Nick Grayston said with the cost of living increasing "every dollar needs to go as far as possible", which is why it is reducing the prices for several items.
From now on a two-litre bottle of milk is $3, 500 grams of Tararua butter is $4 and 1.2kg of Sanitarium Weet-bix is $5 at Warehouse stores. Grayston said they are the cheapest everyday prices available in New Zealand and more drops can be expected in the coming months.
"Our customers trust us to provide the best value for money and we're committed to this. Kiwis know they can come to The Warehouse for the best deals on their household essentials.
"Value isn't just about low prices – by providing quality products across all of our categories, our customers can feel confident that the range of options we provide will last longer, and provide better value for their money in the long run."
Newshub compared the new prices to products available at Countdown, PaknSave and New World. The cheapest two-litre milk available at Countdown is A2's Fresha Valley standard milk coming in at $4.9. At PaknSave the cheapest equivalent milk is Anchor Blue at $4.49 and New World is the Value standard milk at $3.96.
The price drops come after The Warehouse extended its offering to include pantry items such as flour, dried fruit, nuts and sauces.
Grayston said more products will also be available in the coming months.
Record inflation, rising interest rates, staff shortages and supply chain issues is causing the cost of living to skyrocket with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern labelling it a crisis earlier in the year.
It comes after a recent survey found 90 percent of all retailers are looking to bump up their prices by 7.5 percent. The increases were prompted by COVID-19, minimum wage increases, the doubling of sick leave and never-ending global supply chain issues.
High grocery prices are also under the spotlight after a Commerce Commission report into the sector found competition is "not working well for New Zealand consumers" with smaller retailers unable to compete effectively against the two main players.
The Commission made a slew of recommendations to fix the issue including changing planning laws to free up land for new grocery stores, introducing a code of conduct for relationships with suppliers, and establishing an industry regulator.
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7 tips for buying your Christmas ham
It’s the centerpiece of the Christmas table, so when you’re peering into the supermarket chiller or ordering from the butcher, choosing the perfect ham can feel like a daunting task.
Here are some things to keep in mind when choosing one to bring home with you.
1. What type of ham to buy
You’ve got some decisions to make when it comes to the type of Christmas ham you’re going to buy.
Cooked on the bone (COB) ham is the traditional Christmas ham. If you’re buying a half ham, you’ll have the choice of the shank or fillet end. The shank is the part with the bone sticking out that gives the ham that traditional look. The fillet end is the round part that gives more meat. If you’re deciding whether to get a whole ham or half, consider how quickly you’ll be able to eat it all. You only have about a week to eat an opened ham before it will go off, so it can be a good idea to get two halves. That way you can eat one half during the week of Christmas and save the other for January.
Champagne ham has had the bone removed and only has the hock left on, so it’s easier to carve.
Pressed ham – also known as continental ham – has had the bones removed and has been pressed, so it’s also easy to carve.
2. Check the pork percentage
The label on a packaged ham will say what percentage is actually meat. Hams are injected with brine, to keep them moist, and additives. The brine injection level for manufactured hams is usually between 10% and 35% of the ham's weight. A manufacturer that wants to produce a cheap ham will add more water to bump up the weight.
3. Know how to tell if it’s New Zealand pork
By far, most of the hams bought in New Zealand this Christmas will be from pigs reared overseas. New Zealand imports pork from about 25 countries. It’s frustrating for New Zealand pig farmers because this ham can come from farms that don’t have to meet the same animal welfare standards as we have in this country. As a result, overseas meat is often cheaper.
If buying New Zealand pork is important to you, look for:
words on the packaging like ‘New Zealand pork’ or ‘born and raised in New Zealand’
4. Have a good look at the ham
If you’re going to be glazing your ham, look for one that is covered in a finger-thick layer of fat. This will give you the thickness you need to make good score lines.
New Zealand Pork’s website also advises looking for a ham that has a meaty texture rather than one that looks wet or rubbery. It says the ham’s skin should be smooth with even colouring. “If the knuckle is sunken, it may be overcooked. If the rind is buckled or uneven, it may be a sign of dryness.”
5. Ask a lot of questions
If you’re ordering your pork from a butcher, you probably won’t be able to compare hams like you would at the supermarket. So, make sure you ask lots of questions, now that you know what you’re looking for.
You could ask:
Is the ham made from New Zealand born and farmed pork?
What will be its injection percentage?
What flavours will it have?
You could even ask if there’s a glaze the butcher thinks would work particularly well with those flavours.
6. Know what size you’ll need
If the ham is the only meat on your Christmas menu, New Zealand Pork advises allowing 1kg of ham for five people. Or if you’ve got other meat options, 1kg will feed about six to eight people.
7. Know the best hams in New Zealand
The best hams of the year were awarded at the 100% New Zealand Bacon & Ham Awards earlier in the year so you can check out which ones got medals. Some of them are only available in the city the butcher is based, but a Farmland boneless ham available nationwide won a gold award and Woolworths bone-in and boneless hams picked up bronze.
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Some Choice News!
Many New Zealand gardens aren’t seeing as many monarch butterflies fluttering around their swan plants and flower beds these days — the hungry Asian paper wasp has been taking its toll.
Thanks to people like Alan Baldick, who’s made it his mission to protect the monarch, his neighbours still get to enjoy these beautiful butterflies in their own backyards.
Thinking about planting something to invite more butterflies, bees, and birds into your garden?
Thanks for your mahi, Alan! We hope this brings a smile!
From National MP--CHRIS BISHOP----'Twas the night before taxes'
’Twas the night before taxes, and all through the nation,
Hard-working Kiwis were still feeling Labour’s inflation.
While their payslips were hidden with care,
They prayed Hipkins and Chloë wouldn’t take their ‘fair’ share.
When out by the Beehive there rose such a shout,
The Greens’ TikTok was not getting enough clout.
“We need more taxes!” Chloë said with a flair,
“For justice! For progress! For… I’ll think of the rest later, I swear.”
Hipkins quickly agreed, as Chloë and the Greens held the key,
He knew he couldn’t win without their guarantee.
But before he could breathe, Te Pāti Māori came with a glare,
Holding a wishlist of taxes that reached mid-air.
And so the trio assembled, a most troublesome sight,
Ready to dream up new taxes till the early midnight.
But no need to worry, National set things right,
We delivered tax relief that finally eased the bite.
And with new roads, schools, and hospitals underway,
Our infrastructure is getting stronger everyday.
Fixing the basics and building the future, as we’ve said,
So every Kiwi family can finally get ahead.
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