Choice, Dignity, and Support When It Matters Most
Social supermarkets in New Zealand are a community-led approach to addressing food insecurity with dignity and choice. Instead of traditional food parcels, they operate like small supermarkets where individuals and whānau can select the groceries they need, often using a points or subsidised system.
Run through partnerships between charities, iwi organisations, and food suppliers, social supermarkets not only provide access to nutritious food but also reduce waste and support wraparound services such as budgeting advice and wellbeing support.
The focus is on empowering people, easing financial pressure, and strengthening communities ensuring that families can put food on the table while maintaining a sense of independence and mana.
A note of thanks to Gratpak
Hello Steve and the amazing Gratpak team,
I just wanted to reach out and say a massive thank you for the support you’ve provided to the Social Supermarkets over the past 12 months.
It’s been such a pleasure working alongside you finding practical, meaningful ways to support the charities we partner with, and ultimately the families they serve. I’ve learnt so much during this time, and I truly appreciate your openness, generosity, and shared commitment to doing what we do better, and bringing more smiles to more struggling families.
From your regular, intentional donations to the unexpected emails offering “a little something extra,” your support never goes unnoticed. It genuinely makes a difference—not just to the shelves in our Social Supermarkets, but to the people and whānau who rely on them.
Together, since opening, Social Supermarkets have delivered:
59,204 shops
Supporting over 280,000 people (based on average family size)
That impact is only possible because of partners like you.
Your contributions help ease the financial pressure on families facing food insecurity, while also supporting our partner organisations who work tirelessly to keep shelves stocked and communities supported.
I’ve attached our latest newsletter to share with your team it’s always powerful to see the real-world impact of what you’re contributing to. If you’d like to read more, I also recommend VisionWest’s impact story: Tee’s Story | Whai Manaaki Kai.
Thank you again. I genuinely appreciate you and the way you show up for this work.
Looking forward to continuing this journey together and seeing the even greater impact we can create.
Ngā mihi,
Lisa Marchi-O’Connor
Supplier Partner – Social Supermarkets