Commonsense Kilbirnie

A boutique and thoughtful shopping experience, you can rest easy at Commonsense knowing every item you purchase is helping either the land, the people, your insides or a mixture of all three. Impeccably neat and tidy, the store is a masterpiece in itself with carefully stocked shelves, a colourful array of fruits and veg and not a bottle of kombucha out of place.

The staff are positively glowing here (which is not surprising if their diets are based on the kind of products they sell), and are more than happy to drop what they’re doing if it means offering advice or lending a hand. Although not 100% of the items on display are certified organic, the store takes into account issues like FairTrade and uncertified organics, and has a policy not to stock certain products if it can be sourced in organic form. There’s even a naturopath floating around the store five days of the week who is happy to point you in the right direction in the supplements and skincare aisle, or who can provide you with a casual consultancy should you need some health advice. There’s a firm focus on sustainability here, and customers are encouraged to bring in their own jars or containers to fill at the bulk bin section or in the cleaning refill stations.

Giant jars of mánuka honey, every type of loose leaf tea you could dream of, organic meats, ice blocks, cheese, milk and breads, and even a small selection of organic wines, and craft beer packs from local brewers Garage Project - Commonsense takes the clinical feeling out of the chore that is supermarket shopping and instead turns it into something of interest. There’s plenty of NZ based producers on display, as well as some well-known Wellington friends like Six Barrel Soda Co., Zany Zeus and Wellington Chocolate Factory. Leave knowing you’ve done your community some good by buying local and supporting businesses that truly care about their individual ethical values.