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Download AudioA Māori supermarket owner says action on pricing by New Zealand’s two supermarket chains is in line with a worldwide trend.
Countdown has put a three-month winter freeze on 500 items, while Foodstuffs is putting 110 items back to last year’s prices.
The moves come as Commerce Minister David Clark considers action on a Commerce Commission report on supermarket super-profits.
Former rugby star Eric Rush, who owns the Regent New World in Whangārei, says supermarkets are also supplying foodbanks, and Foodstuffs has just opened a Social Supermarket in Kaitaia, following the success of one in Kaitaia.
“Needy people just go in there and don’t have to pay for their groceries. It sounds too good to be but all the stores around the area and Foodstuffs supply the groceries. You don’t just go in there and have a free for all, you have a certain amount of credits. You might have 50 credits and a pound of butter costs them three credits so it is trying to teach them how to budget as well,” he says.
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