Confusion has reigned in retail ever since the Government announced that only ‘essential business’ would be permitted to remain open to the public after midnight Wednesday. While it's still up in the air for specialty food providers like small grocers, bakers, butchers and fruiterers, a few more details have since been released.

A port pile-up that will impact essential goods coming in and out of New Zealand is predicted by the Road Transport Forum (RTF).

It’s crunch time for just about every Kiwi retailer as New Zealand prepares for lockdown from midnight on Wednesday. Everyone not deemed an ‘essential business’ or those supporting them is not permitted to remain open while the country is at Alert Level 4. Here’s some touching messages from retailers temporarily shutting down their businesses.

In the four-week lockdown which comes into play from Wednesday midnight, only retailers which qualify as an ‘essential business’ are allowed to stay open. Most retailers who aren’t supermarkets don’t make the cut, including liquor stores, but in Licensing Trust Areas such as West Auckland’s Portage and Waitakere, they’re allowed to continue trading. We asked The Trusts to share details about how they’ll keep their liquor stores open.

As Kiwi retail businesses prepare for lockdown after Wednesday, debate rages over what constitutes an ‘essential’ business.