PAK'nSAVE Kapiti — Attraction in North Island

Editing a 5 star review downwards. Paknsave's substitute policy is "if a product you have ordered is not available, we will try to substitute it with a similar product of equal or higher quality, but we will only charge you an equal or lower price." The first experience where I contacted about an inappropriate substitute the online manager pivoted quickly and was able to provide a solution for 3 ply toilet paper which was in fact in stock in various quantities and thusly would fit their substitute policy.

This fortnights shop, unable to supply tissues and a pizza...I find that hard to believe they are completely out of proper substitutes for tissues and pizza. The coffee being on a super special and having a specific note of only being able to sub for one other type I can understand but when I search online for tissues and pizza...there is multiple options for a substitute. So 2 experiences combined would say their substitute system needs work. Or the pickers are actively choosing to not supply rather than fulfill in line with Paknsave policy. The headache to budget a shop down to the $ and it not to be fulfilled within policy perimeters is annoying and as much as I want to be a fan of it, fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. Won't be a third time doing an online shop here.

Original review Just did our first click and collect, one substitute wasn't ideal, I contacted via chat and Theo and the online manager were so quick and proactive in a solution. I was not expecting that. I'm still wowed. Really...

I'm not a frequent shopper here but when I turned up on Wellington Anniversary at 7am after checking both this specific Pak n Save's website as well as Google maps to confirm the opening time (both said 7am) I was mildly irked to be turned away and told it opens at 8am. The only place I could find a hint of this was their Facebook page..

On subsequent visits this has stayed in the back of my mind but it amplifies all the petty things which in isolation are minor but when you add them all up you realise this store really struggles with the basics.

No baskets at all? Dozens of shopping trolleys sitting in the bays in the carpark first thing in the morning? The trolleys by the entrance not pushed as close as possible to the entrance, again first thing in the morning? Shelf price for Kettle chips of $3.19, and the same chips at the end of the nearest aisle with a price of $3.30? (Charged $3.19). Shelf price of a Moro bar 99 cents, turn around and a bulk style display of Cadbury bars priced $1.09...

One star for the rude Indian woman staff. The goods in the supermarket are all good. But twice I encountered racist attitudes inside. This time it was an Indian staff. She was serving at the self-service pay machines. This was my first time using this machine at PAK‘nSave. I asked her a question and her attitude was very cold. I didn't want to ask her a second question later on. As I was considering whether to call and ask my friend usually how to deal with Pay-per-unit items, the Indian staff came up to me and asked if I hadn't paid for a bulk item yet and then she operated it for me. After she left I found out that I had been overcharged. But I really didn't want to have any more conversations with her, and the money wasn't much, so I paid the fee and left. Really...