Marlburians spending more on groceries than anywhere else in New Zealand

Sunday, 8 October 2017

Marlburians spend more filling up their supermarket trolleys compared to residents in other areas of New Zealand.

Are we buying more, or are groceries in Marlborough just really expensive?

Marlburians are spending more than any other region in New Zealand when it comes to the weekly shop.

Snapshot of how much Kiwis spend on their groceries every month.

Marlborough residents spent an average of $712 a month on groceries, well above the national average of $617, according to recently released figures from Westpac NZ, who drilled down into data of more than 96,000 of its CashNav app users.

When broken down into age groups, those aged 36-55 in Marlborough spend the most on groceries at around $924 while Marlborough millennials (18-35) spend $495 per month on average.

On the flip side, residents in New Zealand's biggest winegrowing region were spending the least in the country on entertainment.

The figures came as little surprise to some Blenheim residents.

*What food and drink are we spending more on?

*NZ is safe and scenic but our prices are too high, say some tourists**

Speaking outside Pak n' Save Blenheim, Sarah Butterstein, who moved to New Zealand from Germany, believed food prices in Marlborough were too expensive.

'I really think groceries are expensive. I'm from Germany originally and so I know that prices are a lot cheaper over there,' she said.

Another Blenheim resident Porere Taoho, who shopped at Countdown Blenheim, pointed to the particularly high cost of fresh produce.

'Yes [food is expensive], fruit is especially expensive, especially grapes and I come from a family of five,' she said.

People in Manawatu-Wanganui spent the least on groceries, with a monthly average spend of just $502.

Marlborough was the only region above $700 and North Islanders paid less on average for their monthly groceries compared to South Islanders.

Marlborough District Mayor John Leggett put the high spend on groceries down to the lifestyle of residents and cost of delivery for goods.

'People here are more likely to cook at home than big city dwellers. We are time-rich because we don't spend hours in our cars commuting.

'I also think most people will tell you that we in the regions pay a bit more for our groceries than, say Aucklanders - delivery costs and economies of scale come into play here,' he said.

Westpac NZ general manager of marketing Andrew Kerr, advised Marlburians to monitor their grocery spending.

'People in Marlborough in the 36-55 age group do spend a lot on groceries so it's worth them keeping a close eye on that spending,' he said.

Marlburians spent the lowest on entertainment in the country with an average of $172 per month.

Aucklanders splashed the most money on entertainment, spending an average of $286 per month.

The Westpac study also analysed the average monthly health spend and Marlburians spent $187, below the national average of $225.

Westpac's CashNav app allows customers to track their daily spending habits by categorising what they spend their money on and identifying what is holding their saving aspirations back. It also notifies them if their spending is higher than usual.