Winston Peters has unveiled a New Zealand First election policy aimed at breaking up the country’s dominant supermarket duopoly, promising lower food prices and fairer conditions for suppliers.
In a campaign announcement, Peters said the plan would dismantle the market dominance of major grocery chains, arguing that more than 80 percent of the sector is controlled by two players, leaving consumers facing rising costs. He pointed to findings from the Commerce Commission that supermarkets have generated significant excess profits, while families struggle with increasing grocery bills.
Under the proposal New Zealand First would legislate to split Foodstuffs into two nationwide cooperatives based on brand, creating direct competition alongside Woolworths New Zealand. Peters said the move would drive down prices, improve value, and ensure suppliers are treated more fairly.
The policy also includes stronger enforcement powers for regulators, with increased penalties for anti-competitive behaviour and reforms to the Groceries Commissioner role to allow binding decisions and direct penalties. Additional measures would target supply chain control, aiming to ensure smaller producers are not locked out of supermarket shelves.
Peters said the changes were needed to end what he described as a lack of accountability in the sector and to deliver meaningful relief for households facing high food costs.
NZFirst Campaign Policy Announcement: NZFirst Will Break Up the Supermarket Duopoly, Bring Food Prices Down for Kiwis
New Zealand First is today announcing an election policy to end the supermarket duopoly – breaking their stranglehold, backing kiwi suppliers, and delivering…
— Winston Peters (@winstonpeters) April 18, 2026
Image credit: Markus Spiske
This might work it might also lead to lots of legal action from these duopolies. In any case a possible step in the right direction and maybe genuinely useful. Meantime the clowns in National are mulling Australia style social media (read proxy Digital ID’s) for under 16’s. According to our dear leader its a good example to “follow”. Shame “leading” and making our own decisions, as a sovereign state, with public referendums doesn’t seem to be on the agenda.
Yes, digital ID must be rejected at all costs. Rather no internet at all than giving the state the type of powers they have in China.
Remember folks, it’s not just at election time that politicians lie. They lie all the time.
Elections are party time for the party political system. They’ll roll out the B.S. is massive dollops, smooze the public, do whatever it takes to appear popular and make mirage like promises to garner support, and then when the election is over it’s back to party politics, the formulaic mass-debating at parliament and backroom deals all for the benefit of the party – not the citizens (or consumers as they are labelled by the political “elite”).
What about”lack of accountability” from the church parliament Mr Peters. Inflation (loss of purchasing power) Is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon. Inflation is political, the silent tax on its citizens.It doesn’t just happen. These are choices made by government officials working hand in hand with the central bank to allow them to spend enormous quantities of money without, right now, raising taxes outright. Balls in your court Mr Peters.
Foodstuffs has two separately run nationwide cooperatives now. NI and SI, I work for foodstuffs. Each cooperative has its own board, management team and suppliers. Have I misunderstood this article?
Does this mean that New World and Pak n Save would become competitors? A rebranding of cooperatives by name. They would start out with an in depth understanding of each other’s marketing tactics, financial systems, staffing practices, supplier knowledge, purchasing tactics etc. Wonder how long it would take before the two separate brand entities could effectively become competitors? There is a marked difference in pricing between these brands as it is. Pak n Save staes its policy as being NZ’s cheapest food prices. How costly would rebranding by brand be for foodstuffs and how would that influence the people’s food bill? This idea is not something I will be voting for
WP just putting our clickbait for the plebs.
The big global operators see nothing in NZ for them. We have less than the population of Sydney and are well sprinkled around NZ. Logistics.
The smarterst comment, yet. Thanks
Take the gst off whole fresh foods
How about take it off of everything? And the income tax too. I’m tired of paying money to people who spy on me and threatened to take my children away because I refused MRNA.
The people of NZ have let this happen all you need to do is boycott the supermarket for one week then they will swiftly drop their prices same as rates councils and insurance companies are ripping you off withhold your money .
Absolutely correct ….. BOYCOTT. Is the only thing that will work
This makes no logical sense foodstuffs north and South were stopped from becoming one company this year. Nonsense.
Dear Mr Winston Peters. On and off you have been in power for decades. Why haven’t you done anything about this food distribution monopoly over this time?
You are in power right now. Yet I see no sign of you doing anything to break the super rich food distribution retailers. Clearly the matter isn’t on your urgent list. Pull finger or we will give you the middle finger. Got it?