NZFGC discusses range of issues with Grocery Commissioner

NZFGC discusses range of issues with Grocery Commissioner

NZFGC has met with the Grocery Commissioner and Commerce Commission officials to discuss a range of issues. NZFGC Board members, Chief Executive Raewyn Bleakley, Grocery Commissioner Pierre van Heerden and officials from the Grocery Team at the Commerce Commission met...
Woolworths NZ’s profits drop 52%

Woolworths NZ’s profits drop 52%

Woolworths NZ’s profits dropped 52 per cent in the last full year, with rising costs pushing up operational costs for the grocery retailer, the NZ Herald reports. The New Zealand arm of Australian-owned supermarket giant Woolworths still came out with $76 million in...
Iwi planning new 20-30 store supermarket chain -report

Iwi planning new 20-30 store supermarket chain -report

A consortium of iwi is reported to be in advanced talks over setting up a new supermarket chain, initially with between 20 and 30 stores, to take on Countdown and Foodstuffs. Stuff, quoting “multiple sources”, says Waikato Tainui, through its commercial arm Tainui...
Unit pricing now in supermarkets

Unit pricing now in supermarkets

Supermarkets are now required to display unit pricing on grocery products. The change applied from the end of August. Consumer Affairs Minister Duncan Webb said the new regulations will make it easier for consumers to compare product prices. Supermarket will be...

Woolworths’ rebrand in busy grocery year

A year of huge change in the grocery sector just got more interesting with Woolworths NZ’s announcement it is rebranding its Countdown stores back to the Kiwi icon Woolworths name. Woolworths first started as a general merchandise store in Wellington in 1929 and was...
Supie plans high-tech physical stores

Supie plans high-tech physical stores

Online grocery startup Supie says it is planning physical stores as it builds towards its goal of being a potential third major grocery retailer behind Foodstuffs and Countdown. Founder and CEO Sarah Balle has told Interest.co.nz it has signed up about 55,000...
Arnott’s return an encouraging move, says NZFGC

Arnott’s return an encouraging move, says NZFGC

The return of Arnott’s to manufacturing in New Zealand after 25 years is an encouraging move, says Raewyn Bleakley. She was speaking after the company today opened a new 4000 square metre factory in Auckland that it expects will make 7.5 million packs of crackers and...
NZ won’t follow France, UK on price caps, says Minister

NZ won’t follow France, UK on price caps, says Minister

New Zealand won’t follow France and the UK in introducing grocery price caps, Commerce Minister Duncan Webb has told Interest.co.nz The website reports the UK government is planning a voluntary cap on the price of basic food items such as milk and bread, similar...

Gabrielle damage becoming clearer

The extent of the damage to the food industry from Cyclone Gabrielle is slowly becoming clearer. A report by Stuff shows both the domestic and export markets will be hit hard. NZ Apples and Pears says the Hawke’s Bay pipfruit crop would be 33% smaller because of...

Cyclone Gabrielle: there will be gaps on shelves

The food industry is still trying to understand the impact Cyclone Gabrielle will have on the food supply but there will be gaps on supermarket shelves, says FGC Chief Executive Raewyn Bleakley. She says it is very early days in understanding the impact, but the areas...
Webinars to help FMCG leaders through cyclone impacts

Webinars to help FMCG leaders through cyclone impacts

The second of two webinars designed to help FMCG leaders through the immediate and longer-term significant impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle will take place next Monday, March 13. It has been organised by the NZ Food and Grocery Council and NZ Food Safety – Haumaru...

Cyclone Gabrielle: too early to assess impact on food supply

It’s too early to tell exactly what effect the damage caused by Cyclone Gabrielle will have on the food and produce supply, FGC Chief Executive Raewyn Bleakley says. She says: “There’s no way this utter devastation won’t have an effect, but I think it’s too early to...