MonopolyWatch NZ is urging kiwis of all political persuasions to sign Consumer NZ’s Stop the super profits petition, which was launched last week.
“As a result of this price rollback our stores will be selling some items below cost,” according to Foodstuff NZ boss Chris Quin.
Online supermarket startup Supie has thrown its support behind Consumer NZ’s new petition calling for fairer supermarket prices.
The government should regulate access to the wholesale market or set-up a state-owned wholesaler, says the consumer organisation.
The government should regulate access to the wholesale market or set-up a state-owned wholesaler, says the consumer organisation.
Countdown has opened its new 3,650 square metre store on Greville Road on Auckland’s North Shore.
Finance minister Grant Robertson has underlined the government’s commitment to boost competition following a 30-year high in inflation.
The 3,565 square metre store has been eight years in the planning, development and construction, said Countdown’s director of property, Matt Grainger.
The Green Party is calling on Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs David Clark to break up the supermarket duopoly, citing an inequality crisis.
ComCom’s approach to improving competition in supermarkets is more strategic than it is being given credit for, says MonopolyWatch NZ.
The Commerce Amendment Bill, which aims to deter anti-competitive conduct, has passed its third and final reading in parliament.
Dunedin residents can now recycle their soft plastic packaging at eight Countdown, New World and The Warehouse stores across Dunedin and Mosgiel.
There are hopes a new market watchdog could apply significant pressure on the country’s supermarket duopoly to act fairly.
Consumer New Zealand research has found 98% of people are worried about the rising price of groceries.
The duopoly pledge to work with the government to implement the Commerce Commission’s final recommendations.
Chair Anna Rawlings defends the report as “robust” and says it is up to the government to decide what to implement.
Code of conduct, collective bargaining and disputes resolution scheme all recommended by Commerce Commission.
The commission stepped back from measures like creating a new independent wholesaler.
New Zealanders will soon benefit from a much more competitive grocery sector as a result of market study findings unveiled by the Commerce Commission, says the government.
But its recommendations fall well short of the more radical options, such as asset divestment, explored in its draft report and inquiry hearing.
The entrepreneur is hoping for a “table-thumping” final report on Tuesday, paving the way for a third major player in NZ’s $22bn grocery sector.
Economist Cameron Bagrie rejects the argument that New Zealand’s credit rating could be hurt if the supermarket giants are forced to divest.
TVNZ’s Sunday programme takes a look at the country’s supermarket duopoly and asks if Kiwis and suppliers should be getting a better deal.
Food and beverage sales volumes rose 12% in the December quarter as businesses came out of lockdown.
However, expansion beyond Auckland will depend on its NZ debut, says the global retailer.
Falling sales and rising operational expenses eat into pretax profit, even as it made saving on the products it sells.
Woolworths New Zealand is recalling Chelsea and Countdown branded raw sugar and brown sugar products bought on either Thursday 25 November or Friday 26 November from any Countdown, SuperValue or FreshChoice store in the South Island.
Foodstuffs and Countdown have picked up awards at the Property Council New Zealand’s 2021 Rider Levett Bucknall Property Industry Awards.
Foodstuffs supermarkets have teamed up with Canterbury District Health Board’s vaccination team to host community clinics.
The Commerce Commission consultation conference as part of its review of competition in the $22bn retail grocery sector has come to a close, providing participants one last chance to plead their cases.
Could an ‘iwi-mart’ challenge the Foodstuffs and Countdown duopoly?
New entrants, existing players and would-be investors are all wary of the power wielded by the grocery duopoly, the Commerce Commission hears.
Lockdown helped drive growth in the supermarket group’s Q1 results with e-commerce surging.
Supermarket owners argue for a fresh calculation of profit refuting findings of excessive returns.
FGC says NZ’s highly concentrated market means conflicts of interests are amplified but supermarket groups argue private labels are critical for budget consumers.
Bloomsberry and Co founder Giles Barker says supermarkets use promotional pricing to control suppliers, rather than just to deliver value to consumers.
Tex Edwards makes his case for a break-up of the duopoly, which he says controls all the vital infrastructure in the sector.
More than four years after premium supermarket chain Nosh went under, the receivers have published their final report.
Countdown and Foodstuffs are supporting Super Saturday’s Vaxathon to help drive up the country’s vaccination rate.
More stores? Yes. Smashing NZ’s supermarket duopoly? Not us, says the new entrant’s co-founder, Chris Fisher.
Foodstuffs North Island, Countdown and Mainfreight are among more than 25 companies who have received the green light to introduce rapid antigen testing this month.
Four Candles Food Market opened its Auckland store at 10 Constellation Drive, North Shore, over the weekend.
The government is meeting business leaders today to discuss a rollout of rapid antigen tests to help keep workplaces safe.
Dozens of grocery and supermarket stores have been listed this week as locations of interest in connection with the Delta outbreak in Auckland and Waikato.
Lockdowns, lower demand for bulk products, and labour costs all eat into the supermarket salad supplier’s bottom line.
Stores have reduced hours and shifted to level 3 protocols after parts of the region entered lockdown overnight.
New Zealand’s 4,000-plus owner-operated dairies and service stations are a way for both cheaper groceries, says the Dairy and Business Owners Group.
An overwhelming majority of consumers believe they pay too much for goods at supermarkets and the current duopoly should be split up, according to a survey commissioned by lobby group Monopoly Watch NZ.
Private labels do more harm than good for both suppliers and consumers in highly concentrated markets, according to research commissioned by the NZFGC.
Additional Auckland supermarkets, dairies and petrol stations have been added as locations of interest in connection with the Delta outbreak in Auckland.
Food firms want wide stakeholder buy-in to a code that provides a framework for behaviour and confidence for investment decisions.
The latest update to Delta locations of interest in Auckland sees more supermarkets added to the Ministry of Health’s list.
A swathe of supermarkets including Farro Mt Eden have been added to the Ministry of Health’s locations of interest in Auckland.
Around 40 supermarkets have been added to the Ministry of Health’s list of locations of interest in connection with the current Delta outbreak.
First Union has highlighted centralised wage bargaining “as a key tool to constrain excess supermarket profitability and secure decent work for everyone in the supply chain,” in its submission to the Commerce Commission’s market study into the grocery sector.
Revenue was down 6% in FY21, although online sales jumped more than 30%.
The government is in “really close contact” with the country’s supermarkets to support them through lockdown challenges, says PM Jacinda Ardern.
Four supermarkets have been added this morning to the list of locations of interest connected to the Delta outbreak.
The supermarket group expects the number of staff affected to keep rising as locations of interest and close contact lists grow.
Dozens of stores have been affected with staff being relocated to cope with demand and to try and plug gaps caused by the Delta outbreak.
Foodstuffs is running a ‘no mask, no entry’ policy, whereas Countdown plans to avoid any potential conflict.
Supermarkets, restaurants, bars, and liquor stores are among dozens of locations visited by current Covid cases.
The government is today expected to provide details on a move to bump supermarket workers up the vaccination priority list which would see jabs being given on-site.
“Keep calm, be kind,” says Countdown, as stores are inundated across the city.
So, how much money did the largest supermarket group in NZ make in the year of Covid?
Foodstuffs disagrees with the Commerce Commission’s estimates of its profitability.
A third major player could be introduced to compete with Foodstuffs and Countdown, according to the strongest draft report recommendation.
The introduction of a new, lower priced competitor into the grocery market would see shoppers abandon stalwarts Countdown and Foodstuffs in droves, according to one industry expert.
The Commerce Commission backs a mandatory industry code of conduct and allowing suppliers to bargain collectively with supermarkets.
A draft report as part of a year-long review of NZ’s highly concentrated grocery sector will be made public next Thursday morning.
The speciality grocer has inked a deal that will see it open its seventh Auckland store, and is close to signing on another.
Australia’s major supermarkets have been ‘red flagged’ by a new food tool which shows them offering bigger discounts on unhealthy foods more often and more prominently.
Eight of New Zealand’s top breweries are selling a limited edition range of beers brewed using freshly-picked hops.
The Commerce Commission is seeking feedback on submissions received in response to its Preliminary Issues paper on its grocery sector market study.
The new initiative enabled customers who needed food support to choose their own goods, as opposed to the traditional pre-selected food parcel model.
The year-long study looks at whether competition in the grocery sector was working well, and if not, what could be done to improve it.
In its submission to ComCom, the NZFGC says there is also considerable use of buyer power to exclude competition.
The ministry warns that ComCom’s market study of supermarkets is likely to take longer than a year.
The Commerce Commission will conduct the investigation to see if Kiwis are paying more than they should be.
There were discrepancies between what the store was advertising, and what customers were paying at the till.
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