Price Chopper (New Zealand)
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Price Chopper was part of the Woolworths New Zealand Supermarket Group, their brands included: Woolworths, Big Fresh and Price Chopper.
History
The Price Chopper format evolved as a discounter with a limited fresh foods offer in 1987. This enabled Woolworths to keep its smaller stores open and ensure these sites were not taken over by competitors.
Price Chopper offered one of the best values in the supermarket industry. Their stores were centrally located in small towns and metro areas with no discount supermarkets, the stores had the same modern technology of larger supermarket chains.
Price Chopper offered customers the best of both worlds. A small hometown grocery store with all the modern conveniences and price discounting of a major chain.
On 12 April 2004, the Price Chopper brand ceased to operate within New Zealand. Many of the stores were converted to Countdown or Woolworths stores.
Price Chopper New Zealand were not related to either of the US chains, or one in Canada.
Generic products
The Price Chopper Chain had a high focus on the Woolworths New Zealand Supermarket Group corporate brands, No Frills and First Choice
No Frills
No Frills was originally used with Franklins Australia as their generic range of products, with their ties to Dairy Farm International Holdings the No Frills product was launched into the Woolworths New Zealand Supermarket Group and had a huge success with the Price Chopper and Big Fresh brands
Originally, the No Frills brand was only used for its peanut butter, honey and potato chips but expanded its range to more than 800 products in packaged groceries and perishables.
First Choice
First Choice was another generic range of products Woolworths New Zealand Supermarket Group had sold. Launched in 1998, it was developed to provide an alternative to the leading brands and have products with quality equal to or better than the leading brands. The products didn't just have the quality but also had prices that were anywhere between 10-15% cheaper than the national brands.
First Choice had over 600 different products and new products were continually being developed every day. The brand did not survive for long though and by the time Dairy Farm International Holdings exited the company in 2002 when it was brought by Progressive Enterprises