Dirt cheap potatoes: How new discount grocer is undercutting the bigger shops
Cheap lunchbox fillers, potatoes at under $1 per kg, and eggs for just over 50c each are some of the savings on offer at the latest grocery clearance store in Christchurch.
The first South Island edition of the Reduced To Clear outlet store opened in South City mall on Sunday. It sells endof-the-line products, cancelled exports or short-dated items – similar to other discount grocers in the city such as Save More and BargainMe.
Big savings came in the form of potatoes – $9.99 for 10kg (which would cost $17.99 or $19.99 alternatively at Woolworths or Foodstuffs supermarkets); eggs at $17.99 for a tray of 30 (which would cost $27.50 elsewhere); and four-packs of the Fever Tree premium soda range at $5 for two (normally about $10 each).
But it was bargains in the “lunch box filler” department that enticed North Canterbury mother Emily Bosworth to return for a second shop in two days. She spent about $40 on opening day, after waiting in an hour-long queue, and spent another $70 yesterday.
She believed yesterday’s shop was “half the price of what I would have paid in the supermarkets”.
Her trolley was loaded with potato chips and Oreo snacks, “treats” she wouldn’t normally buy. “But because they’re so cheap, you can afford to have treats.”
A 12-pack of juice boxes was $6, and flavoured jellies snacks were $2.09, half the price they would cost from the supermarket duopoly.
Bags of frozen dumplings and extralarge cans of spaghetti were significantly cheaper, too.
St Albans local Julia Bodyfelt walked out of the store with Fever Tree eight-packs, pleased with her savings. “Effectively, you’re getting two for one, and with a discount [on top],” she said.
Both Bosworth and Bodyfelt said the range was not enough to make them ditch their weekly supermarket grocery shops
Emily Bosworth, customer
completely, but they would aim to return at least every fortnight to supplement their normal shop.
The store was ideal for shopping “for special things, like non-alcoholic drinks, crackers, sweets or some staples, but maybe not so much frozen goods”, Bodyfelt added.
As well as the rows of food items at discount prices – such as cereals, biscuits, drinks and cooking items – Reduced To Clear had an everyday range priced similarly to supermarkets.
It featured items such as produce, milk and dairy products, flour and meat, to enable customers to complete the majority of a weekly shop, rather than just shop for special deals.
Signs in the store said the range was intended to grow.
It was a point of difference compared to nearby competitor and fellow discount store SaveMore at Eastgate Mall, which only sells discounted goods.
“[It’s] half the price of what I would have paid in the supermarket ... because they’re so cheap, you can afford to have treats.”