NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sponsored Stories

Sponsored by Pak'nSave

Pak'nSave

Buying big & saving big

3 Dec, 2020 11:00 AM
NOW PLAYING • PNS: Queenstown - Produce

Sponsored by Pak'nSave

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Clout from buying in bulk also means Pak'nSave customers enjoy the freshest produce.

Often the first to arrive and the last to leave, unsung Christmas heroes are everywhere if you just look around.

With only a dark purple sky, a splattering of stars and the constant morning chill as his companions, Ross Malcolm arrives for work at Pak'nSave Queenstown at 4am every day.

Often the first to arrive, the Pak'nSave produce manager and volunteer fireman clicks on the lights, checks his produce, then rolls open the huge industrial doors ready. He's ready for the frenzy of work about to hit – and to undertake one of his key functions: making sure Pak'nSave customers have fresh produce for their Christmas cheer.

When dawn is only a smudge on the horizon and most of us are still tucked up in bed, the big trucks start rolling up from 5am. Ross and his staff then start the job of unloading the produce, hosing it down to keep it fresh, and stacking pallets of it inside a chiller the size of a small school hall.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The process of hosing and moving produce from the chiller to the shop floor is a regular event throughout the day as the fruit and vege constantly moves off the shelves and into customer trolleys.

Ross is always happy to help customers find what they're looking for.
Ross is always happy to help customers find what they're looking for.

"Ross is a volunteer fireman and feels very much at home getting his hose out," jokes Queenstown Pak'nSave owner, Anthony King. "Ross's passion for his job is huge and, once pallets are unloaded, he and his team are out on the floor, ensuring everything looks fresh and helping customers find what they're looking for.

"When we get sharp prices, our customers get them too. Our model is based on the fact that when we buy, we buy big, and when we buy big, our customers save big. We don't just buy a carton of produce, we can buy half a field and, because of this, our prices are much lower than anywhere else," says King.

This model also means customers are getting the freshest food available. Tonnes of produce, especially this time of year in the form of blueberries, famous Central Otago cherries and peaches, are moved through the store daily; the chiller is often empty at the end of the day because the produce has been moved out so quickly, thanks to hungry customers.

Anthony and Michelle King, Pak'nSave Queenstown.
Anthony and Michelle King, Pak'nSave Queenstown.

"This means our produce isn't left on the shelf for days. We don't need fancy misting machines to keep produce fresh because the produce is constantly moving out."
Up to 17,000 avocados, 5000 kg of bananas and, over summer, more than 1.5 tonnes of stone fruit alone can be sold in just one week.

King is looking forward to another bumper Christmas but admits Covid-19 has meant some families will do it tough.

He says when money is tight, look for the specials and always buy in season. He likes to keep things simple when it comes to his own family Christmas table. Strawberries and kiwifruit on top of a pavlova are his favourite. "And berries, anything with a berry in its name, I will eat. We just have them with fresh cream and yoghurt. You don't have to spend a lot to make a meal special."

Keeping it simple has also translated into how food is presented in the produce department. Apart from bulk buys, produce is now only sold loose. Gone are the days of two avocados wrapped in a wad of plastic.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"We started reducing plastic a couple of years ago and, while people can still buy in bulk, the flexibility and sustainability is now there – which is important to us, our customers and the community," says King.

"I have the most amazing team. I am so proud of them. The community here in Queenstown know we are here for them and they showed their appreciation for us after lockdown.

"Some people brought in chocolates and they were very vocal showing their gratitude for what my staff did. It makes the silly season just a bit more special knowing they are thankful for all that we do for them, their families and our community."

Visit paknsave.co.nz for Christmas produce inspiration.

Save

    Share this article

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Sponsored Stories

Sponsored Stories

Thank you New Zealand!

10 Jul 10:43 PM
Sponsored Stories

Behind the scenes of a wild weather event

07 Jul 09:52 PM
Sponsored Stories

Is your dog or cat hiding pain?

07 Jul 03:49 AM
Sponsored Stories

Outward Bound NZ: How a South Auckland teen ditched his phone and found confidence off the grid

07 Jul 01:24 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP