What is a social supermarket? 

Social Supermarkets are a contemporary take on the traditional food bank approach, providing food support with greater levels of choice and dignity. People experiencing food insecurity choose what they need for themselves in a supermarket-style environment, rather than being given a pre-filled food parcel that might not meet the specific dietary and cultural needs or the personal preferences of the family. Food is what we do, so we’re delighted to be involved in such an awesome movement.

Here at Foodstuffs North Island, we are proudly 100% Kiwi-owned and operated. Our co-operative is 100 years old and being part of New Zealand’s history and communities means our people, whether it’s our local supermarket owners, or any of our wider Foodies team are committed to being ‘Here for New Zealand’. We want to make a real, positive difference in Aotearoa and have made four social promises: 

• We support every New Zealander to access healthy and affordable food. 
• We create meaningful work for our people.
• We support our local communities to thrive.
• We are sustainability leaders in our operations and how we source our products.

Rising inflation and the current cost of living has meant budgets are being stretched more than ever, and many hard-working Kiwis are struggling. One of the ways we enable access to healthy and affordable food and support our local communities to thrive, is by partnering with local community organisations to setup and run social supermarkets. 

See how and why we partner with awesome organisations like Wellington City Mission to bring Social Supermarkets to life:

See here the impact Social Supermarkets are having in their communities, hearing from our wonderful partners at Te Hiku Pataka (Kaitaia) and Whare Kai (Whangarei), and one of our key supplier supporters, Rob Beard (Beard Bros Sausages):

Keen to stay up to date on all things Social Supermarkets? Register for our quarterly newsletter here:

Get in touch