A "big rush" of Marmite fans is expected to descend on Bay supermarkets today - with one having stocked nearly 700 jars in preparation.
Mount Maunganui New World staff restocked the popular spread last night after it received a delivery of 696 jars from Sanitarium.
Store owner-operator Allan Rudkin told the Bay of Plenty Times the order arrived yesterday.
"We got 29 boxes at 24 a box and it all came on a pallet from Sanitarium, via the store warehouse."
"It's a bigger order than what we would normally do."
He expected "a big rush" today when it went on sale, particularly at 7am when the store opened.
The store has not put a limit on the number of jars of Marmite each customer can buy.
"There's been lots of customers who have been asking for some time now when Marmite will return and only recently we've been able to give them a set date based on what Sanitarium has told us."
Store staff knew about a month ago that March 20 was the day Marmite would return to shelves.
"Marmite is a New Zealand icon and it's great to have it back on sale," Mr Rudkin said.
Aisle operators Ed Caparon and Andy Chard were Marmite eaters and pleased to have the spread back.
The Marmite Facebook page said once supply had settled in New Zealand, Sanitarium would export Marmite to Australia progressively over the next few months.
Cameron Taylor, 12, couldn't wait to get rid of the Vegemite in his cupboard and return to his old favourite.
"I'm very excited because I had to convert to Vegemite. I didn't like it as much but I had to adapt. I'm going to be waiting at the shops to get some, I'm going to get the biggest jar I can find."
Every trip to the supermarket resulted in a detour to see if his favourite spread was back, Cameron said.
"I put it on everything. It goes with everything, especially cheese and crackers. When I get some tomorrow, I'm just going to eat it straight out of the jar, I think I've gone long enough without it."
Sanitarium stopped Marmite production at its Christchurch plant - the only place it is made - last March after earthquake damage.
Marmite facts
Marmite was first imported to New Zealand from Britain in 1910.
Sanitarium began selling Marmite in NZ exclusively in 1919 - four years before Vegemite hit the shelves.
The flavour was experimented with in the 1930s and was changed to what we have today.
Marmite began being produced in Christchurch in the mid-1940s.
It is made from yeast extract, a by-product of the brewing industry.
Supplies of Marmite ran out in March 2012, a year after the factory was damaged in the Christchurch earthquake.
Sanitarium has made more than 500,000 jars for today's release, one jar for every 8.8 people in the country.