Woolworths New Zealand

Last updated

Woolworths New Zealand Limited
Woolworths NZ (2018–present)
Progressive Enterprises (1949–2018)
FormerlyProgressive Enterprises
Company type Subsidiary
Industry Retail
Founded9 February 1949;75 years ago (9 February 1949)
(as Progressive Enterprises)
FounderBrian Hall Picot
Tom Ah Chee   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Headquarters Favona, Auckland, New Zealand
RevenueIncrease2.svg NZ$4,957 million (2008–2009)
Increase2.svg NZ$208 million (2008–2009)
Owner Woolworths Group (2005–present)
Number of employees
18,000
Parent Woolworths Group
(Previously by Foodland associated Limited)
Subsidiaries
Website woolworthsnz.co.nz

Woolworths New Zealand Limited (formerly Progressive Enterprises) is the second largest grocery company in New Zealand (behind Foodstuffs), with revenue of NZ$6.2 billion for the year to June 2018. Alongside Foodstuffs, Woolworths NZ forms part of the New Zealand supermarket duopoly.

Contents

Progressive Enterprises Limited was once owned by the Western Australian Supermarket Group FAL – Foodland Associated Limited which operated Action Supermarkets, Supa Valu Supermarkets and Dewsons Supermarkets. It is now a wholly owned subsidiary of the Australian Woolworths Group.

History

On 25 May 2005, it was announced that Woolworths Limited, one of Australia's largest retailers, would be purchasing Progressive Enterprises along with 22 Action stores in Australia. The deal was worth approximately NZ$2.5 billion and culminated in the official transfer of assets on 24 November 2005.

In 2006, company workers at three distribution centres initiated industrial action in an attempt to win a collective employment agreement and pay rise. [2] The company responded by suspending grocery distribution centre operations and allowing suppliers to send stock directly to supermarkets. [3]

Also in 2006, the company was awarded the Roger Award For The Worst Transnational Corporation Operating in New Zealand.

On 15 August 2007, Progressive Enterprises announced employees on youth rates or under the age of 18 would get paid adult rates, which in some cases can be up to an 80% pay increase. The average pay increased from $9.00 to $13.50.

In August 2011, Progressive Enterprises won a marketing award. [4] On 22 June 2018, Progressive Enterprise Limited renamed to Woolworths New Zealand Limited.

In June 2022, Woolworths New Zealand established a wholesale business, New Zealand Grocery Wholesalers, following the release in March of a Commerce Commission report on competition in the New Zealand grocery sector. [5] The government gave Woolworths and Foodstuffs one year to establish substantial wholesale agreements or face additional regulation. [6]

In July 2023, Woolworths New Zealand announced the rebranding of all Countdown Supermarkets to Woolworths. [7] The rebrand is expected to be completed in early 2024.

In September 2024, thousands of union-affiliated Woolworths supermarket workers went on a two-hour strike to demand better wages and working conditions. [8]

Store brands

Entrance to a Fresh Choice supermarket FreshChoiceTakaka.JPG
Entrance to a Fresh Choice supermarket

Woolworths NZ runs the following grocery store chains:

It operates online grocery shopping in the name of Countdown. [9]

Logo used from 2018-2022 Woolworths NZ.jpg
Logo used from 2018-2022

Former operations

Product brands

Former product brands

See also

Related Research Articles

Pak'nSave is a New Zealand discount food supermarket warehouse chain owned by the Foodstuffs cooperative. It is one of the three main supermarket chains in New Zealand, alongside Woolworths New Zealand and New World. There is a total of 58 Pak'nSave stores throughout the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foodtown</span> Defunct New Zealand supermarket chain

Foodtown was a New Zealand supermarket chain owned by Progressive Enterprises. As with Woolworths, the Foodtown brand was phased out in the late 2000s, with all stores rebranded as Countdown by the end of 2011. Foodtown supermarkets were typically integrated with a shopping centre; the chain had few stand-alone stores.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Countdown (supermarket)</span> New Zealand supermarket chain

Countdown was an Australian-owned New Zealand full-service supermarket chain and subsidiary of Woolworths New Zealand, itself a subsidiary of Australia's Woolworths Group. It is one of two supermarket chains in New Zealand, the other being Foodstuffs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woolworths Group (Australia)</span> Australian multinational retail company

Woolworths Group Limited is an Australian multinational retail and finance company, primarily known for the operation of its retail chain Woolworths Supermarkets across Australia, Woolworths in New Zealand and its discount department store Big W. Headquartered in Bella Vista, Sydney, it is the largest company in Australia by revenue and number of employees, and the second-largest in New Zealand.

Foodstuffs (NZ) Ltd is a New Zealand grocery company owned by the 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, and in-store private labels Pams, Pam's Finest, and Value. Foodstuffs operates over 400 retail stores as of 2020, and serves an estimated 3.6 million customers each week.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woolworths Supermarkets</span> Australian multinational supermarket chain owned by Woolworths Group

Woolworths Supermarkets is an Australian chain of supermarkets and grocery stores owned by Woolworths Group. Founded in 1924, Woolworths is currently Australia's largest supermarket chain with a market share of 33% as of 2019.

Action was an Australian supermarket chain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woolworths (New Zealand supermarket chain)</span>

Woolworths is an Australian-owned New Zealand full-service supermarket chain and subsidiary of Woolworths New Zealand, itself a subsidiary of Australia's Woolworths Group. Previously known as Countdown, the business is currently in the process of rebranding all stores as Woolworths.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Fresh</span> Defunct New Zealand supermarket chain

Big Fresh was a New Zealand supermarket chain. The first Big Fresh store opened in 1988 in Mount Wellington, Auckland. In 2003, the Big Fresh brand was shut-down by its owner Progressive Enterprises, with branches converted to Countdown or Woolworths, or shut down altogether.

Price Chopper was part of the Woolworths New Zealand Supermarket Group, alongside Woolworths and Big Fresh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coles Group</span> Australian public company

Coles Group Limited is an Australian public company operating several retail chains. Its chief operations are primarily concerned with the sale of food and groceries through its flagship supermarket chain Coles Supermarkets, and the sale of liquor through its Coles Liquor outlets. Since its foundation in Collingwood, Victoria in 1914, Coles has grown to become the second-largest retailer in Australia after its principal rival, Woolworths, in terms of revenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SuperValue</span> New Zealand supermarket chain owned by Woolworths Limited

SuperValue is a chain of locally owned and operated supermarkets in New Zealand, established in 1964. The stores are operated under franchise agreements, with franchise and group operation controlled by Wholesale Distributors Limited (WDL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FreshChoice</span> New Zealand supermarket chain franchise owned by Woolworths Group

FreshChoice is a franchise of locally owned and operated supermarkets across New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Ah Chee</span> New Zealand businessman (1928–2000)

Thomas Henry Ah Chee was a New Zealand businessman, who established the Foodtown supermarket chain and the Georgie Pie fast-food restaurant franchise.

3 Guys was a New Zealand, Irish and US supermarket chain that operated between 1973 and 2003.

Retailing in New Zealand is an important sector in the economy of New Zealand, as a channel for a large proportion of household spending and international visitor spending.

Supie was an online New Zealand supermarket. It was launched in 2021 by Sarah Balle and failed in 2023 after running out of cash. It was put into voluntary administration on 30 October, and subsequently liquidated, owing over $2.1 million to over 4,000 creditors. Its goal was to disrupt the country's supermarket duopoly, operated by Foodstuffs and Woolworths.

References

  1. ↑ Harris, Catherine (3 August 2012). "Kiwi supermarket, education leader dies". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
  2. ↑ Business & Money
  3. ↑ "Supermarket Suspends Distribution Centres". XtraMSN. 29 August 2006. Archived from the original on 1 September 2006. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  4. ↑ "Home". Archived from the original on 7 September 2011. Retrieved 8 September 2011.
  5. ↑ Enerva, Kaycee (16 March 2023). "Woolworths to supply Circle K stores in New Zealand". Inside FMCG. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  6. ↑ "Minister gives supermarket duopoly ultimatum over wholesale deals". RNZ. 24 August 2022. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  7. ↑ Shaw, Aimee (18 July 2023). "Countdown supermarkets to rebrand back to Woolworths". Stuff News. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  8. ↑ "Thousands of Woolworths supermarket staff strike". RNZ . 10 September 2024. Archived from the original on 10 September 2024. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  9. ↑ Countdown Online Shopping
  10. ↑ "Foodtown, Woolworths brands on way out". The New Zealand Herald . 21 September 2009. Retrieved 4 November 2011.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.