The Prime Minister has revealed that Auckland will stay in lockdown until 11:59pm on Sunday and the city and the rest of New Zealand will remain at alert level 2 after that.
Kiwis have been enamoured by freezer food during the latest lockdown, new grocery shopping insights from our biggest supermarket show.
Shoppers at Foodstuffs supermarkets (New World, Pak'nSave, and Four Square) have taken the oppor-tuna-ty to get stuck into seafood.
Elsewhere, poultry products have been the focal point for Countdown customers, chicken especially popular.
The supermarket companies also say less panic-buying has taken place this lockdown, and report that supply chains are in great shape.
Auckland entered the alert level 3 lockdown at midday on August 12, with the rest of the nation moving up to alert level 2 amid a new outbreak of Covid-19.
Shoppers queuing outside Countdown Hobsonville just before Auckland moved into alert level 3. Photo / Dean Purcell
Canned meals, baking staples, toilet paper, and vitamin supplements were among the most sought after products during the first lockdown.
Antoinette Laird, Foodstuffs head of corporate affairs, said the products in demand last lockdown are also in demand now, however, new trends have emerged.
"We've seen a spike in frozen and chilled fish purchases this round of lockdown that we didn't see last lockdown," she said.
It was similar for Countdown stores, which saw a 20 per cent increase in demand across their entire frozen section.
Mince is still hugely popular, a spokesperson said, with the sales of cleaning products also high since the start of March, earlier this year.
"Frozen poultry value-added and vegetables seem to be people's go-to, both with more than 30 per cent growth," they said.
"Other frozen favourites in the last few weeks are ice-cream, dumplings, frozen pizzas, party snacks and convenient ready-made frozen meals."
Chicken is the most popular meat, with demand increasing almost 30 per cent over the past fortnight in comparison to the same period in 2019.
Haircare, hair dye, skin and body care products are also very popular at Countdown, with hair and beauty retailers forced to close like during the last lockdown.
Liard says along with the lockdown staples, Foodstuffs customers treated themselves to treats like chocolate, blue cheese or a bottle of wine too.
Vitamin and supplement company Health by Habit, ranged exclusively at Foodstuffs supermarkets, saw a 20 per cent increase in sales.
Despite a brief spike in demand during the first days of this lockdown, Laird said Foodstuffs customers are now shopping normally and demand has settled.
Countdown is pleased Auckland shoppers heeded the supermarket's advice not to panic buy despite a re-emergence of Covid-19 and another lockdown.
"We've seen very few, if any, queues in our stores, and while there was a rush when the alert level changes were announced a couple of weeks ago, Kiwis have been shopping very calmly, which is great," the spokesperson said.
