Dr Bryce Edwards: Democracy Briefing - The Devil in the detail of NZ First's supermarket reform

Winston Peters has smartly read the room for a second time this month. Just weeks after announcing NZ First would campaign to break up the big four electricity gentailers, he has turned his sights on the supermarket duopoly: announcing that a future NZ First government would legislate to split Foodstuffs into two nationwide cooperatives based on brand: one for New World and Four Square, and another for Pak’n Save. Both, Peters says, would then compete directly with Woolworths.

Dr Benno Blaschke: Supermarket reform shows promise

When Woolworths wanted to build a new supermarket in Christchurch, it took them four years and $3 million just to get permission. Did you know it takes an average of 18 months and costs $1 million to get permission to build a supermarket? To be clear, just to get permission – the building still comes later. Oh, and in some cases, permission took as long as four years.