Countdown’s commercial strategy saves customers $70m
Since repositioning itself as a supermarket focused on low prices, Countdown says it’s saved its customers over $70 million on more than 1000 products through its ‘Price Lockdown’ initiative.
New CEO for Smiths City
Smiths City Group has appointed Roy Campbell as its chief executive, replacing long-serving managing director Rick Hellings.
Forty different fruits on one tree
American contemporary artist Sam Van Aken has used grafting to create a hybridised tree which bears more than 40 kinds of stone fruit.
UPDATED: Strikes go ahead at McDonald’s tomorrow as union slams its rostered zero hours offer as “meaningless”
United union national director Mike Treen has snubbed McDonald’s latest employee contract offering, which guaranteed 80 percent of rostered hours to workers. He says the offer is “PR spin” that doesn’t solve the problem at hand with zero hour contracts.
Will traditional retailers be dethroned in the brave new digital world?
Ben Goodale is managing director of creative retail agency .99 and leading 1-1 agency, justONE. He discusses the impact of the digital revolution on traditional retailers.
McDonald’s NZ and Hell Pizza join Restaurant Brands in ruling out zero hour contracts
Two more major fast food chains in New Zealand have followed Restaurant Brands’ lead in abandoning zero hour contracts for employees. Takeaway retailers have been under pressure from Unite Union, whose national director said last week if Restaurant Brands could stop the contracts, so could
The Coca Cola company has launched its first new product since Coke Zero
A new variant called “Coca-Cola Life” will be available across New Zealand from this month onwards. The product is the first from Coke’s Kiwi range to contain stevia, a plant-based sweetener. It has 35 percent less sugar than standard Coca-Cola.
Consumables driving an increase in retail spending
Retail spending using electronic cards continued to rise in March, hitting $4.7 billion. All retail industries except fuel were affected.
GST debate continues as Retail NZ and Booksellers NZ launch #eFairnessNZ campaign
Retail NZ and Booksellers NZ have taken action to close the GST “loophole” which lets low value goods from overseas pass through customs free of charge.
Easter weekend spend was bleak compared to last year, BNZ report finds
Spending this year for the three days of Easter (Monday wasn’t included) was down 3.4 percent, compared to the year previous. BNZ notes that though it looks like a tough week for retail, the report includes the Easter weekend and Good Friday, where not much