Pak 'n Save has once again scooped the award for being New Zealand's cheapest supermarket in a Consumer NZ survey.

The chain has dominated the survey for the past 11 years. This year it was six to 10 percent cheaper than its nearest competitor in each of the seven centres surveyed.

Consumer NZ CEO Sue Chetwin said the difference between the cheapest and most expensive Consumer shopping trolley was greatest in Christchurch at $24 and least in Auckland at $11. Shopping around for milk was very worthwhile - you could save over a dollar on a 2-litre bottle in Auckland and Wellington.

Chetwin said shoppers were sent out with an identical list of 40 top-selling items to buy. They visited Pak 'n Save first and if they could not find a brand or pack size specified on the list, they substituted the item and bought it in all stores. "That makes it harder to compare between cities but within cities prices are easily comparable. "

Competition for second and third places was extremely tight between New World and Countdown in the South Island, Wellington, South Auckland and Tauranga, with only a few dollars separating them. New World was a clear second over Countdown in Auckland's North Shore but Countdown reversed this in Palmerston North.

Chetwin said grocery prizes rose 5.5 percent in the year to March so this year Consumer doubled the number of basic items on the list by adding frozen and canned food, and spreads to the traditional basics such as bread, milk, sugar and butter.

Consumer tips for supermarket shopping

• Don't shop when you are hungry. With a full stomach you are less susceptible to the free samples and promotions designed to tempt you to buy more
• Get to know your local supermarket layout so you can avoid temptations
• Take a list and stick to it - it's the key to avoiding impulse buying
• Join the store's loyalty programme - Fly Buys or One Card - to maximise discounts
• Take advantage of multi-buys or stock up on good specials
• Don't buy items just because they seem like bargains
• Check the unit price - smaller items are sometimes cheaper than the larger size

More information

• Supermarket prices - our surveys show where your dollar goes furthest in 7 locations around NZ.

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