PAK’nSAVE, one of New Zealand’s most popular supermarket brands, celebrated its 40th birthday on 12 June.
It all began in Kaitāia in 1985 when Gaylene Voss and her late husband Barrie, opened the very first PAK’nSAVE. With exposed walls, shelves stocked with staples like mutton, candles and beef dripping, and a focus on no-frills, the “barn store” was a bold new concept for Kiwi shoppers.
Although an instant hit, Mrs Voss never imagined the format would grow into a chain of 59 stores across the country, employing thousands and serving millions.
“We thought it would do well in Kaitāia in particular, [but] we never thought it would be like it is now,” she says.
“I find it very complimentary that the concept grew from what we started 40 years ago.”
Foodstuffs North Island CEO Chris Quin says: “PAK’nSAVE has been helping New Zealanders spend less on groceries for 40 years – and that all started with the courage, creativity and community spirit of Gaylene and Barrie. We’re proud to carry on their legacy.”
Mr and Mrs Voss, with the help of their daughter Cynthia, had been running a Four Square store in Whangārei for seven years when they learned Foodstuffs, the co-op behind PAK’nSAVE, New World and Four Square, was looking for someone to operate a new kind of store selling groceries in bulk in Kaitāia.
“We applied, and were lucky enough to be accepted,” she says. They went on to own and operate PAK’nSAVE Kaitāia for 11 years, helping to establish a new way of shopping for New Zealanders.
Now in her 80s and living in Havelock North, Mrs Voss looks back on the early days with pride and humour, recalling three major store expansions, customers packing their own groceries with newspaper at a bench, and cash takings ferried across the road in a green Milo sports bag.
The store evolved and had numerous innovations, including customers packing their own groceries, which is now standard in PAK’nSAVE supermarkets. Shoppers got used to self-packing very quickly.
“Everybody just took that on board. There was a packing bench, and we supplied newspaper to wrap your goods in.”
The store’s popularity meant that it got small very quickly. To keep up with demand, they undertook three expansions which included a $3 million bakery expansion.
“I didn’t even know how many zeroes there were in three million, all I could write on the cheque was ‘3m’.”
Over time, they added a serve-over deli, produce displays, a bakery, fish bar, alcohol section and bigger checkouts with rolling conveyor belts and scanning technology.
Despite all the changes to the store and the growth and development of PAK’nSAVE in general, what has remained the same is the brand promise.
“The intention was the same as now: New Zealand’s lowest food prices,” says Mrs Voss. “It’s not supposed to be flash – it’s supposed to be affordable.”
Stickman, PAK’nSAVE’s mascot, didn’t come until later, but Mrs Voss is very much a fan.
“I just love Stickman. He’s such a clever way to show what PAK’nSAVE stands for. He’s funny, straight to the point, and really captures that no-frills, low-price attitude.”
Mr and Mrs Voss were also heavily involved in local community causes.
“We supported every charity, every fundraising event that was going. It was because our customers supported us. We were supported well, and we wanted to give back. It was a nice area to work in and a wonderful community.”
Her fondest memories were of the customers, the staff, and hearing about the careers of schoolchildren who had worked part-time in her store. When she opened the store, there were just 17 staff. By the time she moved on in 1996, that number had grown to about 120.
“The young people who worked after school were real go-getters and went on to achieve great things, which I thought was wonderful for Kaitāia.”
Today, Mrs Voss returns to PAK’nSAVE Kaitāia to celebrate the store’s 40th birthday alongside current owner-operator Doug Cochrane, the community, and long-time staff including David Palmer, who has worked at the store for almost as long as it’s been open.
