Earlier this year, Consumer NZ recieved 78,000 signatures on a petition to regulate access to wholesale grocery supply. Hence, the organisation welcomed the announcement from Consumer Affairs Minister David Clark yesterday.
"Although the devil will be in the detail, wholesale access is the key to healthy competition in the grocery sector," said Jon Duffy, Consumer NZ Chief Executive.
"We are pleased the Government has recognised that relying on the supermarket giants to play fair was never going to work. It's clearly not in the commercial interests of the duopoly to voluntarily open up their wholesale supply to competitors."
Food is the second highest financial concern as the cost of living rises. In June 2021, Consumer NZ conducted a survey that had 17 percent of Kiwis say they did not trust supermarkets. This number has jumped to 40 percent as of July 2022.
"New Zealanders should be able to trust that they're paying a fair and competitive price at the supermarket. While factors such as transportation costs, the international situation and Covid-related delays contribute to high food costs, the lack of competition in the supermarket sector is also a key contributor."
"The Commerce Commission found that supermarkets are earning more than $1 million in excess profits a day. How is that fair, as many people struggle to feed their family?"
