New Zealand Grocery Equipment
New Zealand’s modern grocery industry is highly concentrated, comprising of two leading grocery retailers (Foodstuffs and Woolworths), general goods retailers, several independently owned stores, green grocers, and small convenience stores. New Zealand-owned Foodstuffs and Australian-owned Woolworths together hold approximately 83% of all supermarket retail revenues. Foodstuffs operates as the umbrella company for the supermarket chains New World North Island, New World South Island, Pak’nSave, and Four Square.
In early 2025, the New Zealand Minister of Finance announced plans to combat the supermarket duopoly and invited overseas grocery retailers to express interest in investing in grocery retail space in New Zealand. New Zealand consumers are highly receptive to increased competition in the industry. Costco entered the market in October 2023, opening its first warehouse in Auckland. Additional locations are anticipated in Christchurch and Wellington.
Commercial importers of food and beverages into New Zealand must comply with regulations overseen by the Ministry of Primary Industries.
U.S. food and agricultural products are popular in New Zealand. In 2024, the value of U.S. imported food and grocery products reached a record $9.3 million, including $3.4 million in consumer-ready, retail-oriented goods. New Zealand imports from the United States include packaged food, pet food, grapes, pork, cheese, animal feed, beer, and wine.
New Zealand’s biennial Fine Food Show and Australia’s annual Fine Foods Australia trade events are important regionally for New Zealand’s grocery sector to source new products and to engage with industry on new trends. Both events are an opportunity for U.S. food and grocery suppliers to showcase their goods. The next New Zealand Fine Food Show will take place in Auckland in 2027. For more information on this event, please contact: agwellington@fas.usda.gov.
New Zealand’s grocery sector contributes significantly to the country’s digital economy, with systems for inventory management and logistics, point-of-sale terminals, and e-commerce websites. Self-check-out kiosks are installed and well-used in most large supermarkets. Operational systems/equipment requirements such as security systems, HVAC systems for overall store comfort combined with selective controls for perishable goods are opportunities for U.S. companies as well as connectivity and mobile solutions that improve inventory management and sales tracking, enhancing efficiency across stores. Products regulated under New Zealand’s Energy Efficiency Program must be registered before they can be sold in New Zealand.
For more information contact: Office.NewZealand@trade.gov.