How Basket NZ Works
Basket NZ compares grocery prices across New Zealand's three major supermarket chains — Woolworths, Pak'nSave and New World — so you can see, at a glance, which store is cheapest for what you're buying. This page explains exactly where our prices come from, how we line up the same product across different stores, and how we keep the comparison honest.
1. Collecting the prices
We gather price data directly from each supermarket's own published online catalogue — the same prices a shopper sees on woolworths.co.nz, paknsave.co.nz and newworld.co.nz. We collect prices on a store-by-store basis rather than relying on a single national average, because prices for the same product genuinely differ between regions and individual stores.
For each product we capture the regular shelf price and, where one exists, the current special or member/club price, so the comparison reflects what you'd actually pay at the checkout this week.
2. Matching the same product across stores
This is the hard part, and it's where Basket NZ adds the most value. The three chains list the same item under different names, sizes and product codes — "Anchor Blue Milk 2L" at one store might be "Anchor Standard Milk Blue 2 litre" at another. A useful price comparison has to know these are the same product.
We run a matching process that normalises product names (stripping pack sizes, units and punctuation), then compares them with fuzzy text matching to group the identical product across all three chains into a single canonical item. Each match is scored for confidence, and we continually refine the matches as we add newly stocked products — without disturbing matches we've already verified.
- Only confident matches are shown as a cross-store comparison.
- A product that exists in just one chain still gets its own page, but won't show a head-to-head price until a match is found.
- Pack size and unit price are taken into account so you're comparing like with like.
3. Local stores, not national averages
We price your nearest stores
When you set your location, Basket NZ picks the closest Woolworths, Pak'nSave and New World and shows their actual prices. North Island and South Island pricing is handled separately where it differs. If you don't set a location, we show a sensible Auckland default so nothing is blocked.
4. Regular vs special and member prices
New Zealand supermarkets price in different ways. Where a chain runs a genuine markdown, we show the original price struck through and the lower sale price. Where a chain uses everyday-low or member/club pricing, we show that as the effective price. We always surface the lowest price you can actually pay, and label specials clearly so nothing is misleading.
5. How fresh the data is
Prices are refreshed regularly from each supermarket. Because produce, meat and weekly specials can change daily, we recommend confirming the exact price in store before you buy — our data typically reflects prices captured within the last few days. Every product page shows the latest figures we hold.
6. Independence
Basket NZ is an independent comparison service. We are not owned by, affiliated with, or sponsored by Woolworths, Pak'nSave, New World or Foodstuffs. We don't accept payment to rank one supermarket above another — the cheapest price simply wins. All supermarket names and logos are the property of their respective owners and are used here for identification only.
Spotted something wrong?
Price matching at this scale isn't perfect. If you see a product matched incorrectly or a price that looks off, please tell us — corrections from shoppers help us improve the data for everyone. Get in touch →