Foodstuffs North Island and Māngere Budgeting Services Trust have announced a partnership that will see the two organisations open South Auckland’s first social supermarket in Māngere.

The brainchild of Foodstuffs North Island, the 102-year-old, 100% New Zealand owned and operated co-operative of grocers behind Four Square, Gilmours, New World, PAK’nSAVE stores, and Māngere Budgeting Services Trust, a leading provider of food support, financial mentoring, counselling and housing advocacy for the South Auckland community.

The new store, Tatou, which in te reo Māori, Samoan and Tokelauan broadly translates as meaning “everyone”, will provide food and grocery products at low or no cost, using a points system, all within a standard supermarket environment, making healthy and affordable food accessible to the community.

Māngere Budgeting Services Trust Chief Executive Lara Dolan says: “We can’t wait to open our new social supermarket, it’s going to help bring mana to people who can’t afford groceries to feed their families right now.  Last year we supported 7000 people with access to food but we want to do more. By partnering with Foodstuffs North Island, we’re creating an awesome new service for our community, where people can shop with dignity in a supermarket style environment and choose the items that meet their dietary, cultural, and personal preferences.”

Foodstuffs North Island Head of Social Supermarkets Willa Hand says: “We know many families are doing it tough right now which is why we’re on a mission to open social supermarkets right across the North Island. This is going to be our 11th social supermarket and we’re only able to deliver them through collaborating with fantastic partners. We’ve worked with the team at Māngere Budgeting Services for a number of years now and they do awesome mahi. We can’t wait to open this social supermarket with them.”

Foodstuffs North Island is the New Zealand owned co-operative behind the North Island’s PAK’nSAVE, New World, Four Square and Gilmour’s stores. Being 100% locally owned, the co-op has made a commitment to be ‘Here for NZ’ and has promised to help ensure all New Zealanders have access to healthy, affordable food and to support local communities to thrive.

Ms Hand said: “We’re retailers, that’s our expertise and Māngere Budgeting Services are making a positive difference in their community, that’s what they’re great at. Our teams fit out the space to create the store, provide the training and ongoing support as-well-as making a commitment to help keep the shelves stocked. Māngere Budgeting Services help design the social supermarket, so it fits the local community and they put in the mahi to deliver an awesome service. It’s a real partnership.”

Foodstuffs North Island opened its first social supermarket in partnership with the Wellington City Mission back in March 2021. The co-op has since partnered with community organisations to open a further nine social supermarkets across the North Island, with Tatou set to become number 11.

In addition to providing food support, Māngere Budgeting Services also offer wraparound services to help people access additional support. Services such as financial mentoring, counselling and housing advocacy, helping address the underlying causes of food insecurity.

Tatou is scheduled to open its doors on 11 April 2024.