Breaking up the supermarket duopoly.

To post in this sub-forum you must have made 100 posts or have Trust status or have completed our ID Verification

Forums › Politics › Breaking up the supermarket duopoly.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

networkn

Networkn
32862 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 15453

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3407967 27-Aug-2025 21:52

Then I guess it might be time to let the people who we elected to solve this problem, who have the information to hand, give it a go?

Unlikely to be worse than doing nothing.

Handle9

11924 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9675

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3407989 28-Aug-2025 02:07

OldGeek:

Do we really want huge international conglomerates to come here for a short-term gain?

You want huge international multinationals to come to NZ for long term gain.

There’s a fixation on profit being taken off shore when the real benefit is the wider economic value add that comes through having increased competition from a competitor with better systems and the ability to finance supermarkets.

Supermarkets are highly capitalist intensive to setup and unless you get to scale you can’t leverage the core infrastructure profitably. Having a brand with established systems is a huge net win and increased competition will generally lower prices as well as employing lots of people in relatively low skill jobs.

It’s the definition of win-win.

quickymart

14940 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 13953

ID Verified

#3408298 28-Aug-2025 21:22

A look at possible options: https://www.1news.co.nz/2025/08/28/who-is-going-to-be-nzs-new-supermarket-competitor/

OldGeek

989 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 409

ID Verified

Lifetime subscriber

#3408400 29-Aug-2025 09:05

quickymart:

A look at possible options: https://www.1news.co.nz/2025/08/28/who-is-going-to-be-nzs-new-supermarket-competitor/

Just further reinforcement of what we already know.

No-one will take on the duopoly head-on. The current Government cannot find an acceptable way to make this happen because all options are not attractive to new players. What can happen is for fringe players to nibble away at various parts of food sales. The Warehouse is already doing this. There are various markets around NZ and some of them are so large that they rival a supermarket for diversity of choice in the food they sell but usually on just one day per week.

We can all play our part by simply modifying our shopping habits - buy as much food as you can (or can afford) from non-supermarket sources, so that your weekly supermarket shop is as minimal as possible. It might take a decade or more. The duopoly may well adapt with in-store independent operators - but keep on with not shopping there no matter what.

I started with this approach just after the Covid lockdowns as a means of supporting small food businesses that had to close.

--

OldGeek.

Quic referal code: https://account.quic.nz/refer/581402 and use this code for free setup: R581402E48MJA

Rikkitic

Awrrr
19062 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 16302

Lifetime subscriber

#3408406 29-Aug-2025 09:19

I am doing this with Countdown especially. The Hastings one has a shiny new store but the worst customer service in the Western world!

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

ezbee

2651 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 3089

#3408696 29-Aug-2025 22:58

Rikkitic

It seems Luxon thinks Costco is the solution to your Hastings problem?

Christopher Luxon says Costco is backing his supermarket policy, but it won’t comment
https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/360806940/christopher-luxon-says-costco-backing-his-supermarket-policy-it-wont-comment

Who needs many 100's Supermarkets up and down the country, vs a handful of Costcos.

Even Costco is not convinced enough to comment.
Though sure it will gladly take easier planning permission/subsidy for the few it will build.

HP

Shop now for HP laptops and other devices (affiliate link).

quickymart

14940 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 13953

ID Verified

#3408731 30-Aug-2025 10:07

https://newsroom.co.nz/2025/08/30/the-secret-diary-of-politicians-in-supermarkets/

Nicola Willis

Well, here I am in a “supermarket”.

I have been given what is called a “shopping trolley”. One pushes it and I imagine it’s possible to also pull it. It also has other uses. I am told that one stores things in it that one takes off the shelves. For the most part they seem to be household items. In that respect a “supermarket” is much the same as the kinds of street bazaar one sees in colourful parts of the globe.

I have become aware that common people are upset by the prices of household items. Their concerns mean a great deal to the Government, and that is why I have come to a “supermarket” to make an important announcement.

😀

quickymart

14940 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 13953

ID Verified

#3420425 1-Oct-2025 21:14

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/574712/price-check-how-a-public-grocery-chain-would-disrupt-nz-s-supermarket-duopoly

An interesting look at how a public grocery chain could work, and what's happening with a similar setup in the US.

Handle9

11924 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9675

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3420429 1-Oct-2025 21:39

quickymart:

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/574712/price-check-how-a-public-grocery-chain-would-disrupt-nz-s-supermarket-duopoly

An interesting look at how a public grocery chain could work, and what's happening with a similar setup in the US.

It's all very hand wavey and doesn't really talk about either the practical way that a publicly financed entrant would work or the the money involved.

The main US example given isn't really comparable (it appears to be a subsidy for areas with very limited access to food) and the other one given is the same. Neither appear designed to bring prices down, rather they are about improving access.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6