In 2024, the cost of living and the price of groceries are top of mind for most Kiwi households as we look for ways to save money in the supermarket aisle.
But just how much have grocery prices gone up in the past 30 years? A Pak’nSave receipt dated 1994 gives a glimpse into how much we used to pay for staples like cheese, bread and fruit juice.
A Kiwi Reddit user shared a photo of a receipt he found over the weekend, writing on the platform, “Found a Pak’nSave receipt from 1994 in my parents’ garage.”
Photos of the receipt show the ink is faded, but it’s still mostly legible after nearly 30 years - so what does this piece of history show us?
A 1994 Pak'nSave receipt shows how much grocery prices have gone up in the past 30 years. Photo / mm-tts, Reddit
Dated July 4, 1994, it’s from Pak’nSave Gisborne and includes many items that would appear on our own shopping lists today, though you may not recognise all the brands.
So, what would you pay for these items today? We checked the supermarket’s current prices to calculate the difference.
Fresh foods and bakery
In 1994, an unspecified amount of gravy beef cost $3.65 - in 2024, 1kg of gravy beef would set you back $22.99 at Pak’nSave.
“Beef misc” - a mix of cuts often used for soups and casseroles - cost $4.64 30 years ago, while you could get a dozen eggs for just $2.69. Eggs have noticeably gone up in price in recent years, with a dozen now available for $7.49 to $10.79, depending on the brand.
What about the fruit and vegetable aisle? In 1994, 325 grams of parsnips cost 64 cents or $1.95 per kilogram, while these days, 1kg of parsnips will cost you $5.99.
Bananas are now slightly more expensive, costing $3.29 per kg, while 30 years ago they cost $1.55 per kg. Carrots cost just 95 cents per kg, while now you’ll pay $2.29 per kg.
An unspecified amount of “mushroom” cost $3.22, according to the 1994 receipt. And surprisingly, tomatoes seem to have come down in price since then, from $6.75 per kg to $4.99 per kg.
How much did groceries cost in 1994 in New Zealand? Photo / Getty Images
Pantry
What about pantry staples? You’ll still find a box of Sultana Bran cereal in many kitchen cupboards, but these days it’ll cost you $9.29 for 700g at Pak’nSave, while in 1994 it cost $5.99.
If you preferred crumpets for breakfast, one pack would cost you just 68 cents in 1994, while these days you’ll pay $2.89 for a pack of six.
Golden Grain doesn’t seem to be available at any NZ grocery stores these days, but in 1994 it cost $1.55 per loaf - these days, you’ll pay anywhere from $1.15 to $3.99 for “dollar bread”.
Another pantry staple that’s still around is Edmonds vanilla custard powder, which cost $1.39 in 1994 - now, it’ll cost you $3.59 for a box. Meanwhile, a box of Pams instant pudding cost 58 cents, while these days you can get a packet of Greggs for $1.79.
As for the bakery, what happened to Chelsea buns? It’s not clear from the receipt how many were in a pack, but they cost just a dollar - while the closest you’ll get in 2024 is a packet of raspberry iced buns for $4.60 at Woolworths.
Elsewhere, two packets of doughnuts cost $1.30 each, while in 2024, you can get a packet for around $4.49.
A box of Kiwi classic Edmonds custard powder cost $1.39 in 1994.
Chilled, frozen and desserts
In the frozen aisle, you’ll still find Leaning Tower pizzas - in 1994, 650g cost $5.49. In 2024, a 400g Leaning Tower pizza costs $3.98 at Countdown.
A 2kg pack of Kiwi fries cost $2.99 30 years ago, while you’ll now pay $6 for two 1kg bags of Pams fries. Another freezer staple, mince pies, cost $3.99 for an unknown amount, while an 840g pack of Big Ben pies now costs $11.59.
Two litres of milk cost $2.40, while you’ll now pay $3.77 for the same amount of home brand milk. Elsewhere in the dairy section is perhaps the most shocking difference - a 1kg block of Tararua colby cheese cost $5.59 in the 90s, while it’ll now set you back $8.99 or more.
Anyone remember Swiss Maid or Paradise Cream? The desserts cost $3.55 and $1.20 in 1994, respectively.
Drinks
Whoever shopped at the Gisborne Pak’nSave was stocking up on fruit juice, purchasing three litres of Keri orange juice for $4.29. The same amount of Keri juice would now cost you upwards of $5.29.
They also bought six 250-millilitre bottles or cans of FreshUp, costing $1.35 each. It seems you can’t get this quantity anymore, but in 2024, a 440ml can of FreshUp will cost you $2.99 - not a huge price increase.
Meanwhile, what appears to be four packs of FreshUp concentrate cost $1.35 each.
Food prices have gone up in recent years. Photo / 123RF
How much would this grocery shop cost today?
The total cost of this shopping list in 1994 comes to $86.61 (it includes $5 cash).
According to Stats NZ’s Inflation Calculator, food that cost this much in July 1994 - the second quarter of the financial year - would now cost you $186.37, not taking into account the fact not all of these grocery items are available today.
The Herald recently reported monthly food prices had risen by 0.6 per cent in April compared with March this year, according to Stats NZ. Grocery prices were the largest contributing group to the monthly rise, with potato chips, olive oil and chocolate prices going up. Fruit and vegetables like broccoli, mandarins and kiwifruit were slightly cheaper.
It comes after a Canstar Consumer Pulse report earlier this year showed grocery prices are the biggest financial worry for many Kiwi shoppers.
A survey of 18,000 Kiwis from October 2022 to January 2024 showed 28 per cent of respondents said grocery costs were more worrying than their mortgage (9 per cent) and the cost of rent (11 per cent).
