Hamper scrutiny shows convenience has its price

COST OF CONVENIENCE: A selection of products available from Chrisco for Christmas.

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Convenience comes at a price for those who choose to stock their shelves with groceries from hamper company Chrisco.

Established in the United Kingdom more than 30 years ago, Chrisco has something of a monopoly on New Zealand's mail order hamper market and now also sells toys, electronics and cleaning products.

Customers select a hamper and spread the cost across the year, with the final payment due in October and hampers delivered in the month before Christmas.

Chrisco's Traditional Plus Bonus hamper will fill a fridge and pantry with everything from ham on the bone to mustard, pasta and fruit juice and at $650 is towards the more expensive end of the Chrisco range.

The total cost is broken into 44 weekly payments of $14.79.

Buying the same 123 items, with the exception of three which were unavailable and for which we substituted brands of similar quality, from Woolworths costs $497, a saving of $153, or 23 per cent.

On a smaller scale, Chrisco's Chip n Dip hamper includes 13 packets of chips, a guacamole dip, two salsas and the makings for three classic Kiwi onion dips.

The hamper costs $82, with weekly payments of $1.88 over 44 weeks.

The same items bought from Woolworths cost $54.69, a saving of $27, or 33 per cent.

The extra costs, Chrisco says, include payment collection, packaging, delivery and GST but the company has attracted criticism recently with rivals taking aim at the wealth of owner Richard Bradley and contrasting it with the low incomes of many Chrisco customers.

Mr Bradley hit back at accusations of profiteering last month, saying they were insulting to Chrisco customers and did not take into account the business' high costs.

Whatever the profit margin, close to 400,000 Kiwi customers and around 1.8 million Australians happily swap their cash for a Chrisco hamper each year.

Chrisco Traditional Plus Bonus hamper: $650 over 44 weeks at $14.79 per week or $497 from Woolworths, a saving of $153, or 23 per cent

Chrisco Chip n Dip hamper: $82 over 44 weeks at $1.88 per week or $54.69 from Woolworths, a saving of $27, or 33 per cent

- © Fairfax NZ News