Whanganui’s Social Supermarket thriving after opening in November

City Mission Whanganui's Dr Antony Nobbs said the Social Supermarket has received positive feedback in its first month. Photo / Fin Ocheduszko Brown

City Mission Whanganui and Foodstuffs North Island’s Social Supermarket has had a positive start after opening just over a month ago.

The Social Supermarket launched in November to offer a dignified experience for those less fortunate – making it the 13th of its kind in the North Island.

City Mission Whanganui manager Dr Antony Nobbs said the experience had been a new challenge for him and the team.

“It’s been a big learning curve for us because there are a whole lot more requirements as a supermarket,” Nobbs said.

“It’s a big change for them – how we buy things and provision a supermarket is quite different from a food bank.”

The City Mission is continuing to operate its foodbank and giving free food at the end of the day, along with the supermarket.

Nobbs said the team had to learn things such as taking temperatures regularly and moving stock for new items.

The feedback from customers had been positive so far.

“People that have been through have absolutely loved it – it’s been great feedback.

“They love the ability to choose. The feedback has been excited, we’ve had quite a few people in tears – it’s just lovely.

“They’ve been really strategic with what they’ve been buying which is interesting but it’s also not surprising that they’ve been clever with it.”

The first month of operation has seen customers flood the feedback board with positive messages. Photo / Fin Ocheduszko Brown

Nobbs said the point system, which varied depending on family size, had been working well.

“The point system is going really well, occasionally people have overspent but it’s just like when you go to a normal supermarket.

“What you get for 55 points as a single person is really, really good.”

Over Christmas, several things were made zero points and they wanted to continue to keep some zero-point items in future.

Ingham’s Chicken provided City Mission with two pallets of chicken to give away for zero points over Christmas.

Nobbs was pleased with the support from Whanganui Pak’nSave which – along with providing food – had assisted City Mission staff in learning how to stock and operate a supermarket.

Foodstuffs North Island had also been supportive throughout the process.

“They’ve been amazing, our experience from the very first phone call has been great – can’t speak highly enough of them,” Nobbs said.

The supermarket was designed to be aspirational and not somewhere to go to solely get free food, he said.

City Mission Whanganui would continue to adjust and learn in 2025 and help the community wherever it could.

“We’re looking forward to everyone being back and getting into it so that it is at maximum numbers – for us, it’s a way of giving people a good experience.”