Foodstuffs (NZ) Ltd is jointly owned by two New Zealand grocery and liquor retailers' cooperatives, Foodstuffs North Island Limited and Foodstuffs South Island Limited. Together, the two cooperatives collectively control an estimated 53% of the New Zealand grocery market. The group owns retail franchises Four Square, New World and Pak'nSave, in-store private labels Pam's and Budget, and a ten percent stake in The Warehouse.
Foodstuffs' only real competitor is Australian supermarket chain Woolworths NZ, so there is effectively a duopoly in New Zealand's supermarket industry.
There have been various mergers between the small regional co-operatives, and until recently there were three co-operative companies: Foodstuffs (Auckland) Ltd; Foodstuffs (Wellington) Co-operative Society Ltd, and Foodstuffs South Island Ltd. Each operated independently and autonomously with its own board of directors, chief executive officer and management structure. There were no common members or shareholders. The organisation has continued to evolve, adopting supermarkets early in their evolution with the formation of the New World group in 1963. The Pak'nSave group began later and the first store was opened in Kaitaia in 1985.
On 7 February 2013 Foodstuffs (Auckland) Ltd and Foodstuffs (Wellington) Co-operative Society Ltd announced that a merger was being planned to bring the two companies together under the name Foodstuffs North Island Ltd. The merged Foodstuffs North Island started trading on 1 September 2013.
New World is a full-service supermarket chain. Founded in 1963, New World was the first American-style full-service supermarket brand of Foodstuffs, and the second in New Zealand (after Foodtown). There is a total of 140 New World supermarkets across the North and South Islands of New Zealand (as of October 2017). New World stores tend to be smaller (2,500–3,000 square metres (27,000–32,000 sq ft)) and more upscale than their competitors. Prices tend to be higher in most stores, due to the cost of upscale presentation, large employee numbers (200–300 in some large stores), and often a lack of competition, especially in smaller towns. New World has been a member of the Fly Buys programme since the programme started in September 1996; Foodstuffs has a 25% stake in the Fly Buys company.
The New World brand was designed by Auckland design and branding studio Sanders Design.
make a donation and support BFBL efforts in your area { more }
Foodstuffs' only real competitor is Australian supermarket chain Woolworths NZ, so there is effectively a duopoly in New Zealand's supermarket industry.
