Pak’nSave Rolleston: NZ’s Biggest South Island Supermarket Opens

There’s a moment when a town grows so fast that its supermarket becomes a landmark. For Rolleston, New Zealand’s fastest-growing district, that moment arrived on 14 October 2025 when Pak’nSave Rolleston opened as the South Island’s largest supermarket — an 8,100-square-metre bet on a community that keeps needing more room.

Gross floor area: 8,100 sq m ·
Retail space: 4,500 sq m ·
Investment: $40 million-plus ·
Opening date: 14 October 2025 ·
Location: 157 Levi Road, Rolleston ·
South Island ranking: Largest supermarket

Eight key facts about the store, from investment to operating hours, are summarised in the table below.

Where did a new Pak nSave the biggest supermarket in NZ’s South Island open its doors on Tuesday?

Official address and opening hours

Pak’nSave Rolleston opened at 9:00 am on Tuesday, 14 October 2025, at 157 Levi Road, Rolleston 7614 (PAK’nSAVE Rolleston official store page). The store operates daily from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm. The phone number is 03 974 3243.

Size and investment details

Foodstuffs South Island reports the store has a gross floor area of 8,100 square metres with 4,500 square metres of dedicated retail space (Foodstuffs South Island press release). The New Zealand Herald (New Zealand’s largest daily newspaper) confirmed the $40 million-plus investment on opening day. The Otago Daily Times (South Island’s leading regional newspaper) reported the store as the largest retail outlet in the South Island by floor area.

The trade-off: massive floor space means more choice, but also higher operating costs. For shoppers, the question is whether Pak’nSave’s famously low prices hold up in a store of this scale in a relatively remote district.

Who are the owners of Pak’nSave Rolleston?

The Foodstuffs cooperative model

Pak’nSave Rolleston is owned and operated under the Foodstuffs South Island cooperative model. Foodstuffs is a New Zealand-owned cooperative, meaning the stores are collectively owned by their member-owners — local grocery entrepreneurs — rather than by a single corporate entity or overseas shareholders (Foodstuffs South Island About Us). This structure is unusual internationally: most supermarket chains in comparable markets operate as publicly traded corporations.

Local ownership at Pak’nSave Rolleston

Each individual Pak’nSave store is operated by local franchisees or cooperative member-owners who buy into the brand. Foodstuffs South Island owns the brand, manages supply chain, and provides centralised support (PAK’nSAVE About page). The specific local owner or franchisee for the Rolleston store has not been publicly named.

How many Pak nSave are in New Zealand?

Total number of Pak’nSave stores nationally

As of October 2025, there are 58 Pak’nSave stores operating across New Zealand, including the newly opened Rolleston location (PAK’nSAVE store finder). The chain has expanded steadily since the first store opened in 1985.

Distribution across North and South Islands

Of the 58 stores, approximately 38 are in the North Island and 20 in the South Island. The Rolleston store is the largest single outlet in the South Island, though the North Island’s Pak’nSave Albany (Auckland) remains the largest nationwide by floor area (NZ Herald analysis).

The pattern: Pak’nSave’s expansion mirrors population growth. Rolleston’s population has more than tripled since 2006, and the new store is the third supermarket to open in the district in five years.

What is the cheapest supermarket chain in New Zealand?

Pak’nSave pricing position

Pak’nSave is consistently rated as New Zealand’s cheapest supermarket chain across multiple consumer surveys and independent price comparisons. Consumer NZ’s most recent supermarket price survey found Pak’nSave’s basket was 12-18% cheaper than New World and 8-12% cheaper than Countdown for identical items (Consumer NZ price comparison).

Comparison with Countdown and New World

Foodstuffs (which owns Pak’nSave and New World) operates a dual-brand strategy: Pak’nSave is positioned as the price leader with warehouse-style service, while New World competes on service and range at higher price points. Countdown (owned by Woolworths Group Australia) sits between them on price (Stuff.co.nz analysis).

Newstalk ZB (national radio and news outlet) confirmed the store opened with prices consistent with Pak’nSave’s chain-wide low-price pledge.

Timeline

• Pre-2025: Rolleston experiences rapid population growth, becoming New Zealand’s fastest-growing district, prompting demand for larger retail infrastructure.
• 2025: Pak’nSave Rolleston construction completed after $40 million-plus investment, featuring 8,100 sq m gross floor area and 4,500 sq m retail space. Initially planned for end of 2025, the opening date was advanced to 14 October 2025 (Otago Daily Times).
• 14 October 2025: Pak’nSave Rolleston officially opens its doors as South Island’s biggest supermarket at 157 Levi Road, Rolleston, at 9:00 am.

Confirmed facts

• Pak’nSave Rolleston opened on 14 October 2025 at 157 Levi Road
• It is the largest supermarket in New Zealand’s South Island
• Gross floor area is 8,100 sq m with 4,500 sq m retail space
• Investment was $40 million-plus
• Created approximately 270 local jobs (Foodstuffs South Island LinkedIn post)

What’s unclear

• Exact number of jobs created by the new store (initial estimate 270, but earlier reports cited 250)
• Specific local ownership details (individual franchisee name)
• Store hours may vary on public holidays
• Phone number accuracy not independently verified
• Retail space figure of 4,500 sq m not confirmed in all sources

Frequently asked questions

For Rolleston residents and the wider Selwyn district, the choice is increasingly clear: the new Pak’nSave offers lower prices and more floor space, but shoppers need to commit to its self-service, no-frills model. With the South Island’s largest supermarket now open, the district’s grocery wars have only just begun.