Western Bay's Grocery Prices Often Higher Than Major Cities

Scoop

18-07-2025

Western Bay households are feeling the pinch at the checkout, with new data revealing food prices in the region often exceed those in bigger cities like Auckland and Wellington. A newly launched dashboard by Community Insights, a division of SociaLink Tūhono Pāpori, is helping shine a light on just how costly it is to fill a basic grocery trolley in Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty.
The Local Grocery Shop Dashboard tracks monthly supermarket prices for a standard list of 68 essential items — including breakfast staples, fresh produce, meat, dairy, pantry basics and hygiene products.
SociaLink formally launched the platform on July 10 at The Kollective with attendees from a wide range of community organisations — including Under the Stars, TECT, Acorn Foundation, Mana Kai Mana Ora, COLAB (Te Puke), Workbridge, Gate Pā Community Centre, Katch Katikati, and Tui Āwhina (Matakana Island). To visualise the scale of a typical grocery shop, the full trolley of 68 items was physically displayed in The Kollective's kitchen — and then donated to a local foodbank.
'Our aim was to create transparency around food prices and how they're impacting whānau,' says Community Insights Manager, Liz Flaherty.
'Tauranga is now a sizable city, but the data shows that we are paying more here for groceries than in other cities.'
The dashboard draws on consistent online price checks by a mystery shopper at seven supermarkets across Tauranga and the Western Bay: PAK'nSAVE Cameron Road, Woolworths Cameron Road, New World Gate Pā, Woolworths Te Puke, New World Te Puke, Woolworths Katikati, and PAK'nSAVE Pāpāmoa. All are located in areas with high deprivation scores, aligning with communities most likely to experience food insecurity.
The list is based on a basic diet framework developed by the University of Otago, designed for a typical family of four — two adults and two children — with additional items added based on feedback from local food banks and budgeting services.
Recently, the tool revealed some stark disparities:
In March 2025, groceries in the Western Bay cost 7.9% more than in Tauranga — up from 6.1% just a year earlier.
In the same month, PAK'nSAVE Cameron Road came in nearly $40 cheaper than the most expensive supermarket, Woolworths Katikati.
Limited availability of low-cost 'home brand' products in satellite towns like Te Puke and Katikati often leaves consumers no choice but to buy more expensive substitutes.
'Even organisations like Tauranga Community Foodbank, Good Neighbour and The Daily, which makes school lunches in Te Puke, are struggling to source affordable food,' says Flaherty. 'When these support systems are stretched, it's a sign of deeper systemic pressure.'
Attendees at the dashboard's launch shared sobering real-world stories that reinforced the data. One community worker noted that as budgets tighten, families are increasingly relying on cheaper, less nutritious staples, compromising long-term health. 'People will buy what they can afford — and that often means nutrition gets left behind.'
Others spoke of local organisations driving all the way to Auckland to purchase in bulk from warehouses to find more affordable groceries. A concerned attendee asked, 'Why nationally are we paying more? And why are there variations between supermarket franchises when consumers would expect consistency?'
One organisation keeping a close eye on the tool is the Te Puke Kai Resilience Group, who confirms long-held concerns about affordability. 'The dashboard is helpful and also highlights a deeper issue — our food system isn't working for so many whānau,' says Chrissi Robinson. A 2024 survey showed 45% of local households with children were running out of food, and Scott Nicholson notes how demand for The Hub's food support has jumped from 60% to over 80%. 'The gap between food prices and local incomes is stretching families thin. We need more community-led food options that offer an alternative to the big supermarket chains.'
Beyond the stats, the dashboard is a powerful advocacy tool. It provides quarterly updates and lets users explore trends by item, supermarket, and location. Importantly, it highlights how pricing within the same supermarket chain can vary wildly depending on where you shop.
SociaLink envisions the resource as a tool to empower residents and community organisations alike — and eventually, spark broader conversations with retailers and policymakers.
'We can map changes in prices each month and make these available to everyone' says Flaherty. 'Grocery prices are about more than just what's on the receipt — they reflect fairness, access, and the right to good kai for every family.'
Community Insights invites the public to explore the FREE dashboard on:
www.communityinsights.org.nz/local-grocery-shop-dashboard. For feedback, questions, or more information, get in touch via [e-mail] or call [phone].