Two-litre standard milk was the most-purchased item across the North and South Islands, according to Foodstuffs data. Photo: 123RF
If you've been supermarket shopping recently, there's a good chance your trolley contained milk and toast bread, and maybe some bananas and avocados.
Foodstuffs has released data for the year showing Value two-litre standard milk was the most-purchased item across the North and South islands.
There were 18.9 million bottles sold in the North Island in the year and 4.4 million in the South Island.
In the North Island, Bluebird chips original cut were next with 13.6 million bags sold. Third was a 500g Pams butter, with 11.5 million. The bread category accounted for eight of the top 20-selling products with over 51 million loaves sold.
"We know Kiwis love their milk, but seeing these numbers really puts it into perspective," said Jocelyn McCallum, head of grocery and food at Foodstuffs North Island. "At a time when budgets were tight, shoppers were prioritising value and practicality.
"Staples like milk, bread and butter were top picks. People were clearly balancing essentials with the occasional treat, like Bluebird chips or Whittaker's chocolate."
In the South Island, butter was second place and milk took the rest of the top five.
"Our South Island shoppers really focus on value, quality and simplicity," said Justin Waddell, head of category and promotions at Foodstuffs South Island.
"Even though times have been tight, essentials like milk, butter, and bread are non-negotiable for many. Budget-friendly staples showed how people were making practical choices."
The popularity of Maggi Onion Soup in the South - in 16th place with 863,610 packets sold - might be explained by its role as a key ingredient in two South Island snack staples: cheese rolls and onion chip dip.
Among fruit and vegetables, bananas, avocados and broccoli were the stars of 2024. There were 33.5 million individual avocados sold across both islands, while banana bunches, a regular top seller, sold 31 million.
Broccoli was near the top of the fruit and veg rankings with 17.2 million heads being sold in the North Island and 5.9 million in the South Island.
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