Costco Not So Much
So Costco opened its doors in Auckland a few days ago and the huge store chain is expected to have a presence in Wellington in the near future. Could be allocated to the Hutt Valley.
KMart has its one and only store in the Wellington region (outside of Porirua) in Petone and in many ways is Costco without the general food.
I have visited Kmart three times in the five years its been open and in that time have purchased some dog treats made in Australia and a couple of leather belts.
Kmart has largely second rate stuff. And I believe Costco will be no different, food excluded.
Would I be attracted to a Costco to buy groceries even if it was sited in the Hutt Valley?
The short answer is not if what the food comparisons stay true to where they are right now.
Compared with PakNSave in Upper Hutt, Costco In Auckland comes off second best in almost every food price quoted.
The big savings was in mince beef and you need to buy in bulk at Costco otherwise PaknSave came out better or near enough in every commodity quoted.
So for a membership fee of $60 (is that per person or per household?) and travelling expenses on the assumption a Costco store will not be where I live, the local PaknSave together with the big stores like Briscoes (and its endless sales) and Mitre10 will hold my sway.
Poll: Should all neighbours have to contribute to improvements?
An Auckland court has ruled a woman doesn’t have to contribute towards the cost of fixing a driveway she shares with 10 neighbours.
When thinking about fences, driveways or tree felling, for example, do you think all neighbours should have to pay if the improvements directly benefit them?
-
82.3% Yes
-
15% No
-
2.7% Other - I'll share below
What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we are having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️