Champion Of Bargains Hunts For Bargain Champion

Champion Of Bargains Hunts For Bargain Champion

Auckland, 3rd August: The Warehouse, New Zealand’s largest general merchandise retailer, is launching a nationwide search to find New Zealand’s best bargain hunter.

The search for New Zealand’s Bargain Champion which kicks off at The Warehouse today is the largest ever promotion in the retailer’s 23 year history. The aim is to find the person who gets the best out of life by making the most of their money. The winner will enjoy a 12 month shopping spree at The Warehouse to the tune of $50,000.

The emphasis is on finding New Zealand’s smartest shoppers and the first step is a nationwide call for customers to send in their top tips for making their money go further. The Bargain Champion promotion will continue to unfold over the coming three months with entries for step one closing on September 9. It will culminate in a national finals weekend at the end of October when the five finalists will travel to Auckland to take on a series of bargain hunting challenges before a panel of expert judges.

The Warehouse is renowned for having introduced New Zealanders to a range of new products at bargain prices through the distinctive Red Sheds that attract more than 53 million customer visits a year. CEO Ian Morrice, who is a Scotsman, says “I’ve noticed since arriving in New Zealand that Kiwis are a lot like the Scots – they enjoy hunting out a bargain.”

To celebrate the search for New Zealand’s Bargain Champion The Warehouse is this week taking the bold step of emphasising its own ‘lowest everyday prices’ positioning through direct comparative advertising. The Warehouse mailer will this week highlight the savings it offers on a range of products compared with the higher prices at competitor retail outlets such as Farmers, Bunnings Warehouse, Whitcoulls, Supercheap Auto and Sounds music stores. Any customer purchasing one each of the 11 profiled products would save at least $23.29 on the total basket of goods by shopping at The Warehouse.

“The Warehouse was built on bargains,” Morrice continues. “Our comparative advertising just highlights what savvy shoppers already know and the Bargain Champion hunt is our way of acknowledging and rewarding those skills.”

The $50,000 prize is also an opportunity to encourage customers to take a fresh look at the top brands and higher value items The Warehouse is proud to offer. In addition to the winner’s $50,000 prize, the four runners-up will each receive a $5,000 Warehouse spending spree. The judging panel includes New Zealand’s original Bargain Champion, The Warehouse founder Stephen Tindall.

The Warehouse Shopping basket

11 items profiled in The Warehouse mailer 3/8/05 and competitor’s prices*

Product The Warehouse Price Competitor Price Savings at The Warehouse

Top selling CDs $22.99 Sounds $24.95-$29.95 $1.96
Monopoly Classic Game $32.99 Farmers $34.99 $2.00
Reflex A4 Photocopy Paper $7.84 Whitcoulls $8.99 $1.15
Roundup Renew 1 Litre $37.96 Bunnings Warehouse $38.50 - $39.20 .54c
Castrol GTX 20W-50 4 Litre $18.84 Supercheap Auto $19.80 - $20.00 .96c
Hot Wheels Basic Cars Assorted $2.49 Farmers $2.99 .50c
Scrabble Original $32.64 Farmers $34.99 - $39.99 $2.35
Dan Brown – The Da Vinci Code $14.94 Whitcoulls $24.99 - $25.99 $10.05
DVD Elektra
DVD Team America – World Police
DVD Blade Trinity $28.96 Sounds $30.00 - $34.95 $1.04
CRC 5-56 400ml $7.31 Supercheap Auto $9.95 - $10.00 $2.64
Yates 500g Blitzem Pellets $2.90 Bunnings Warehouse $3.00 .10c

Total savings at The Warehouse $23.29
* (valid at 12pm 27/7/05)

The search for New Zealand’s Bargain Champion:

The Numbers …

53.2 million customers visited The Warehouse in 2004

1.2 million homes receive The Warehouse mailers every week

50,000 dollars to spend at The Warehouse for New Zealand’s Bargain Champion

6,000 New Zealanders employed in the Red Sheds

200 Regional Finalists will be chosen for New Zealand’s Bargain Champion

85 The Warehouse stores across New Zealand from Kaitaia to Invercargill

61 rugby pitches worth of total shop floor space.

5 National Finalists will compete in the bargain hunting challenges

1 New Zealand Bargain Champion

ENDS

© Scoop Media