New Zealand’s New World supermarket chain has reimagined the traditional self-serve bulk foods shopping experience.
Called CareFillery, the bulk food ‘hubs’ are being rolled out in stores across the North Island, starting with New World Pukekohe and New World New Plymouth. Category manager grocery at Foodstuffs North Island, Sally Williams, says they have been designed and researched “to reflect the changing needs of today’s more health and environmentally conscious New Zealanders”.
“People are thinking differently, eating differently so it makes sense that we need to offer a different way for them to shop.”
She cites research showing that 69 per cent of Kiwis are looking to reduce how much food they waste and 67 per cent agree they want to reduce their packaging waste.
“Our customers want to be more sustainable while grocery shopping, but are unsure about how to incorporate more eco-friendly changes into our normal shop – besides bringing a reusable bag.”
The hubs feature curated collections of ingredients for teas and smoothies along with the usual bulk buy foods like nuts, confectionery and snacks.
“While we’ve had a well-loved self-selection offering for several years, we knew it was the right time to look at bringing innovation and creativity to a part of the supermarket that offers the great value and environmentally conscious choices that we know our customers are looking for,” said Williams.
“The CareFillery builds on the basics of what self-selection is all about – getting exactly what you want and need, which means less food waste and less packaging and great value. As our customers balance value and environmental impact, our CareFillery is a great effortless way to incorporate sustainable habits into their everyday lives.”
The CareFillery was created in partnership with ProLife Foods, the suppliers behind Alison’s Pantry.
ProLife’s self-selection marketing manager Aaron Begbie says selecting a good quality tea is now about so much more than picking a box off the shelf.
“It’s a real sensory experience and we’re bringing that magical moment to a supermarket environment. Or if shoppers want to try a new flavour in their smoothie but aren’t sure what their next favourite is going to be-they can just select a small sample to try.
“Combinations are only limited to the customer’s imagination and preferences,” he said.
