Compare Electronics Retailers in New Zealand at Canstar Blue. 100% Home, PB Tech, Harvey Norman, Noel Leeming, JB Hi-Fi and The Warehouse were compared on Overall Satisfaction, Customer Service, Layout of Store, Relative Price, Range of Products and Value for Money.
See our Ratings Methodology.
100% Home is switched on to Kiwi consumers, who have rated it No.1 for customer satisfaction for an amazing fourth straight year.
Our review compares electronics retailers on customer satisfaction, so you can discover what other Kiwis think about our compared electronics retailer brands before you go ahead and make a purchase. Think of it like asking hundreds of your closest mates which electronics retailer they think is best!
Canstar Blue surveyed 2396 Kiwis who had purchased a product from an electronics retailer in the past 12 months for their feedback on their experiences.
Respondents rate their satisfaction with their electronics retailers from zero to ten, where zero is extremely dissatisfied and ten is extremely satisfied. Brand satisfaction is rated by respondents on the following criteria:
The winning brand is the one that receives the highest Overall Satisfaction rating once all the scores from the Overall Satisfaction criteria are combined and averaged.
Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included, so not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The brands rated in this survey are listed below in order of best overall satisfaction.
Find more information on our Most Satisfied Customer methodology.
Few brands in Canstar Blue’s consumer ratings earn the distinction of four award wins in a row. However, that’s exactly what 100% Home has achieved this year, as the winner of Canstar Blue’s 2024 Most Satisfied Customers | Electronics Retailer Award.
In this year’s award ratings, 100% Home is the only brand to score a top 5-Star rating for Overall Satisfaction. Notably, it’s also the only retailer to score 5 Stars for Customer Service and Value for Money, which are the two most important factors for Kiwis when rating their electronics store choices. Indeed, 100% Home earns 5-Star ratings across all categories on our award table except for Range of Products, for which is earns a great 4-Star rating.
100% Home boasts 45 stores nationwide, and all are Kiwi owned and operated by people who live and work in each store’s community. Each store has proudly served its local customers for decades, its name becoming synonymous with the 100% brand. Around the country, you can shop in store or online at the following locations:
Auckland: 100% Home Albany Extreme, 100% Home Magness Benrow Greenlane, 100% Home Magness Benrow Constellation Drive, and 100% Home Gary Pyes in Waiuku.
Northland: 100% Home Barrels Extreme in Whangarei, 100% Errol Rogers in Kerikeri and 100% Home McKays in Dargaville.
Coromandel: 100% Home Thames, 100% Home Whitianga, 100% Home Whangamata, 100% Home Waihi and 100% Home McHardys Paeroa.
Waikato: 100% Home Van Dyks in Putaruru, 100% Home Strawbridge Appliances in Te Awamutu and 100% Home Taumarunui.
Bay of Plenty: 100% Home Phil Booth and 100% Home Opotiki.
Taranaki: 100% Home Mason Appliances in New Plymouth and Waitara, 100% Home Dimocks Stratford and Hawera.
Whanganui: 100% Home Dimocks Whanganui.
Manawatu: 100% Home Leader & Watt have six stores across the Manawatu region in Dannevirke, Feilding, Foxton, Levin, Marton and Palmerston North. Also 100% Home Chaineys in Levin and 100% Home Winloves in Waipukurau.
Wairarapa: 100% Home Newbolds Masterton.
Wellington: 100% Home Newbolds Upper Hutt is the largest store in Wellington alongside two other satellite 100% Home stores located in Johnsonville and Petone.
Blenheim: 100% Herkt Appliances.
West Coast: 100% Home Ellerys supports the West Coast with stores in Hokitika, Greymouth and Westport.
Christchurch/Rangiora: 100% Home Nicols Appliances services Rangiora and the central Christchurch market.
Ashburton: 100% Home Smith & Church.
Otago: 100% Home Selectrix Wanaka, 100% Home Johnstone Electrical in Balclutha.
Southland: 100% Home Fiordland Electrical in Te Anau, 100% Home Austin Electrical in Riversdale, 100% Home Gore.
To find the 100% Home nearest to you, use the 100% Store Finder.
Along with our winner, PB Tech is the only other retailer in our award to earn multiple 5-Star ratings. Given the chain’s focus on low prices and its huge range of electronics good, it’s no surprise that it scores top ratings for Value for Money and Relative Price. For Overall Satisfaction, Customer Service and Value for Money it earns 4-Star ratings. PB Tech achieves its lowest rating for Layout of Store, 3 Stars, which is understandable due to its emphasis on no-frills pricing over aesthetically pleasing showrooms.
PB Tech was founded in 1993, as a computer repair business. Since then PB Tech has grown into one of the country’s biggest electronics retailers. By sourcing bulk deals, often directly from manufacturers, PB Tech offers a huge range of computers, audio and tech products, smart home devices and phones at great prices.
PB Tech also has in-store specialists who can help you with repairs and other tech advice.
An enduring retail brand, Harvey Norman earns a single exemplary 5-Star for Range of Products. It earns its top ratings for Overall Satisfaction, Layout of Store and its focus on Customer Service.
It earns its lowest ratings from its customers for its Value of Money and Relative Price. However, a 3-Star rating is by no means a measure of dissatisfaction. Rather it reveals Harvey Norman’s customers are content with the store’s prices and value levels.
Harvey Norman is one of the biggest and most recognisable retailers in the country. As a global brand, Harvey Norman has access to a wide variety of products and consumer brands.
Its offerings include computers and laptops, mobile phones and tablets, TVs, audio equipment, cameras, smart home tech, gaming consoles, as well as a wide range of kitchen and laundry appliances and smaller household electronic goods.
Noel Leeming achieves a solid set of ratings across all categories. It earns predominantly 4-Star scores, in four out of six of our awards categories. As with its competitor Harvey Norman, Noel Leeming’s lowest consumer ratings are 3 Stars for Value for Money and Relative Price.
Noel Leeming is a part of The Warehouse Group, which gives it access to a massive supply network and the ability to stock a wide range of electronic brands. As such, it’s a leading retailer of home appliances, TV and audio equipment, gaming, cameras and, of course, computers and mobile phones.
One of NZ’s most recognisable electronics stores, due to its bright yellow branding, JB Hi-Fi earns an equal mix of 4- and 3-Star ratings. It earns its highest ratings for Overall Satisfaction, Customer Service and Range of Products. It achieves 3 Stars for Value, Price and Layout of Stores.
JB Hi-Fi is an Australian electronics retailer that operates 14 stores nationwide (12 in the North Island and two in the South). It stocks a wide range of consumer electronics, from computers to health and fitness wearables, video games and phones. However, it also stocks small home appliances, such as coffee machines, blenders and vacuum cleaners, as well as smart home and security tech.
The Warehouse scores a consistent set of 3-Star ratings across all categories, except one: Relative Price. This is understandable, as The Warehouse is known for its budget-friendly brands, which are low in price compared to many of those sold by its competitors.
The brand’s iconic, big red sheds need no introduction. A staple of NZ’s retail landscape, The Warehouse has been stocking a wide range of household products for almost 40 years.
Today, The Warehouse stocks plenty of electronics for your lounge room, pocket and kitchen, alongside its huge selection of consumer goods.
Not all electronic retailer brands in the market qualify for our ratings (based on minimum survey sample size), but that doesn’t mean they’re not worth considering. Here is another retailer to check out before making your final decision.
Betta Electrical has 21 stores across the country, all of which are New Zealand owned and operated. It retails a wide range of household appliances, as well as TV and audio equipment, and has a strong focus on delivering great products and service to the local communities in which it is based. Many of the stores are kitchen specialists, offering appliances through the Ezy Kitchens brand, which is part of the wider Betta Electrical Group.
Smiths City has 17 stores nationwide. In addition to electrical appliances, Smiths City stores sell a range of other furniture and homewares, and offers a specialist kitchen service in Christchurch. Smiths City’s price promise matches any competing retailer’s advertised price on identical make and model items.
When they are shopping for new home appliances or tech, it’s clear what Kiwi consumers look for in the products they buy: quality.
The surprising element of Canstar Blue’s research is that Kiwi consumers aren’t just looking for the cheapest products. Of those in our survey, half (50%) say they will pay more for a quality appliance, and a further 35% say they are happy to pay a premium for the latest technology.
Also clear is the importance of Customer Service. A third of those in our award survey say that Customer Service is the No.1 driver of customer satisfaction, compared to just a quarter (25%) who cite price.
Here’s the full rundown of what the consumers in our survey rate as the most important factors when it comes to their Overall Satisfaction with their retail experiences:
This report was written by Canstar’s Editor, Bruce Pitchers. Bruce has three decades’ experience as a journalist and has worked for major media companies in the UK and Australasia, including ACP, Bauer Media Group, Fairfax, Pacific Magazines, News Corp and TVNZ. Prior to Canstar, he worked as a freelancer, including for The Australian Financial Review, the NZ Financial Markets Authority, and for real estate companies on both sides of the Tasman.
Would rather pay more for a quality appliance: 50%
Respect and follow the advice of the sales staff at electronics retailers: 41%
Loyal to favoured technology brands: 34%
Prepared to pay a premium for the latest technology: 35%
Often buy a different product due to advice from in-store staff: 17%
Upgrading tech before needed just to have latest gadgets: 8%
Canstar Blue surveyed 5127 New Zealand consumers across a range of categories to measure and track customer satisfaction, via ISO 26362 accredited research panels managed by Qualtrics. The outcomes reported are the results. In this case, 2396 New Zealanders. Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included. Results are comparative and it should be noted that brands receiving three stars have still achieved a satisfaction measure of at least six out of 10. Not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The ratings table is first sorted by star ratings and then by mean overall satisfaction. A rated brand may receive a ‘N/A’ (Not Applicable) rating if it does not receive the minimum number of responses for that criterion.
The past winners from Canstar Blue’s Electronics Retailers ratings:
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