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Woolworths (New Zealand)

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Woolworths New Zealand Limited is a supermarket chain, owned by Woolworths Group in Australia.

Woolworths New Zealand Limited
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryRetail
Predecessors
Founded
  • 1929; 97 years ago (1929) (original)
  • 2023; 3 years ago (2023) (revival)
Defunct2011; 15 years ago (2011) (original)
Number of locations
187 stores (2025)
OwnerWoolworths Group
Subsidiaries
Websitewoolworths.co.nz

In 1929, Woolworths was established in New Zealand by Percy Christmas as a general merchandise retailer, and gradually became a supermarket chain. The chain's name was inspired by the original Woolworth in the United States, and Woolworths in Australia, though was unrelated to either retailer.

In 1979, Woolworths was sold to L.D. Nathan, who created Price Chopper and Big Fresh, sister brands to Woolworths. In 1990, Dairy Farm International acquired Woolworths, before selling to Progressive Enterprises in 2002.[1] In 2005, Woolworths Group in Australia acquired Progressive Enterprises, which included a number of other New Zealand supermarket chains, such as Countdown.[2] In 2009, Woolworths Group announced that Woolworths supermarkets would be rebranded to Countdown, with this completing in November 2011.[3]

In 2023, it was announced that all Countdown supermarkets would all be rebranded to Woolworths, with this completing in December 2025.[4]

History

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Woolworths (1929–1979)

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Woolworths advertisement, Levin, 1949
Woolworths Supermarket, Upper Hutt, 1974

Percy Christmas opened the first Woolworths store on Cuba Street, Wellington in 1929. It expanded into a chain of stores, initially selling general merchandise.[5]

In 1963, Milne & Choyce, Farmers and Woolworths formed a joint venture to establish New Zealand's first shopping mall in New Lynn, Auckland. All three companies established anchor stores in the new mall.[6]

Woolworths opened the first supermarket in Hastings in 1965.[7]

Woolworths acquired the Self Help grocery chain in the early 1970s and began to rebrand these as Woolworths in 1973.[8][better source needed]

L.D. Nathan (1979–1990)

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L.D. Nathan, the owner of the Super Value supermarket chain, purchased Woolworths for $12 million in 1979.[9][10][7][11]

L.D. Nathan acquired 70 McKenzies general merchandise stores in 1980,[12] rebranding the stores as Woolworths.[13]

The general merchandise stores were rebranded as DEKA in 1988.[13]

L. D. Nathan established the discount supermarket chain Price Chopper in 1987, and the Big Fresh supermarket chain in 1988.[9][11]

Dairy Farm International (1990–2002)

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Woolworths Wanganui, 2006

In 1990, Hong Kong's Dairy Farm International acquired the Woolworths New Zealand business, consisting of Woolworths, Price Chopper and Big Fresh chains.

Woolworths launched New Zealand's first online supermarket in 1996.[5]

Between 1990 and 2000, Woolworths trialled a network of min-supermarkets in BP petrol stations.[14] In 2001, Woolworths began operating mini-supermarkets at 17 Gull New Zealand stores.[14]

Progressive Enterprises, the owner of Foodtown, Countdown, SuperValue and FreshChoice, made a bid to purchase Woolworths New Zealand in May 2001.[15] The merger application was cleared by the Commerce Commission but then withdrawn following court action by rival Foodstuffs.[16]

Progressive made another application for the merger in October 2001.[16] The Commerce Commission declined the application in December 2001.[17] Australia's Woolworths Group also expressed interest in acquiring the company.[18]

By 2002, Woolworths New Zealand consisted of 83 supermarkets branded as Woolworths, Big Fresh and Price Chopper. It was the country's third-largest supermarket group, with a market share of about 20%.[18]

Progressive Enterprises (2002–2005)

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In April 2002, Progressive Enterprises convinced the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council to uphold the Commerce Commission's clearance of the original merger application.[18] Dairy Farm International agreed to the sale, and the merger proceeded later in 2002.[5]

In 2003, there were 59 full-format Woolworths stores, including 17 in Auckland. There were also 26 Woolworths mini-supermarkets, including 14 in Auckland.[19][20]

Progressive Enterprises launched its onecard loyalty card in 2003, based on the Foodtown loyalty card launched in 1994.[5]

Woolworths Group (2005–2011)

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Australia's Woolworths Group acquired Progressive Enterprises in 2005, including the Woolworths chain.[21] In 2006, company workers at three distribution centres initiated industrial action in an attempt to win a collective employment agreement and pay rise.[22] The company responded by suspending grocery distribution centre operations and allowing suppliers to send stock directly to supermarkets.[23]

In October 2006, Woolworths began operating fuel discount vouchers for Z Energy and Gull New Zealand.[5][failed verification]

In 2008, Woolworths had 61 full-format stores, including 10 in Auckland. It also had 18 mini-supermarkets at Gull New Zealand petrol stations, including 11 in Auckland.[24]

In 2008 Progressive Enterprises approached its 943 New Zealand suppliers (which Woolworths calls "Trade Partners") to use electronic commerce or EDI to integrate supply chain orders (such as Purchase Orders and Invoices) in the same way that Woolworths does in Australia.[25]

In September 2009, it was announced that the Woolworths brand would almost cease to exist as most of the stores would be rebranded as Countdown over a five-year period.[3]

By August 2010, the Woolworths brand had ceased to exist in the South Island. On 14 November 2011, the Meadowlands store in Howick, Auckland was rebranded as Countdown, marking the official end of the Woolworths brand.[2][26] In August 2011, Progressive Enterprises won a marketing award.[27]

The 21 Woolworths mini-supermarkets at Gull petrol stations were taken over by Night 'n Day from June 2011.[28]

In November 2011, the final Woolworths was converted to Countdown.[29] There was one exception, Woolworths Bayfair in Mount Maunganui continued to operate under the Woolworths brand.[1]

Reversion to Woolworths brand (2023–present)

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In July 2023, it was announced that all Countdown stores would be reverting to the Woolworths brand as part of a $400 million transformation.[30] This would include the New Zealand Grocery Wholesalers division, that was created following the release of a Commerce Commission report on competition in the New Zealand grocery sector.[31] The government had given Countdown one year to establish substantial wholesale agreements or face additional regulation.[32]

The Countdown location at Christchurch Airport, having been rebranded to Woolworths

The Countdown store in Bethlehem, a suburb of Tauranga, which originally opened in 2003, reopened on 17 August 2023 after renovations.[33] This store became the first to be rebranded as Woolworths.[34][35]

In early February 2024 Woolworths replaced its loyalty schemes Onecard and Onecard Visa with Everyday Rewards. Consumer NZ head of research and advocacy Gemma Rasmussen expressed concern that Everyday Rewards and other supermarket loyalty schemes were not as cheap as they were marketed to be and said that they discouraged competition.[36] During its launch, customers were awarded points upon account creation, and points were able to be gifted to other people. Some customers exploited this by creating several fake accounts and gifting their main account.[37]

On 10 September 2024, thousands of union-affiliated Woolworths supermarket workers staged a nationwide strike to demand better wages and working conditions.[38] On 16 December, Woolworths signed a new collective bargaining agreement with First Union, giving union-affiliated employees a 6.8 percent pay rise over a two-year period.[39]

Woolworths confirmed it was undergoing a business retail restructure in April 2025.[40]

On 6 May 2025, the Commerce Commission files criminal charges against Woolworths New Zealand for alleged inaccurate pricing and misleading discounts.[41]

In December 2025, Countdown Botany became the final Countdown to be rebranded as Woolworths.[42]

Operations

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Entrance to a Fresh Choice supermarket

Current store formats

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Woolworths NZ runs the following grocery store chains:

  • Woolworths: 191 supermarket stores
  • SuperValue: 4 stores – convenience supermarket stores, run as a franchise
  • FreshChoice: 74 stores – Higher quality supermarket with a large range, run as a franchise

It operates online grocery shopping in the name of Woolworths (formerly Countdown).[43]

Logo used from 2018–2022

Defunct store formats

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See also

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References

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  1. 1 2 Wells, Hunter (8 May 2015). "Memories of Bayfair's 30 years". Sun Media. SunLive.
  2. 1 2 Edmunds, Susan (30 October 2021). "Four of New Zealand's biggest rebrands". stuff.co.nz.
  3. 1 2 "Foodtown, Woolworths brands on way out". The New Zealand Herald. 21 September 2009.
  4. ↑ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Countdown Supermarkets - Our History". countdown.co.nz. Woolworths (New Zealand). Archived from the original on 23 March 2022. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  6. ↑ Laurenson, Helen (11 March 2010). "LynnMall". Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Ministry for Culture and Heritage.
  7. 1 2 Dunn, Sarah (24 March 2016). "Half a century in retail: Des Flynn". The Register. ICG Media.
  8. ↑ "Ted van Arkel" (PDF). mags.school.nz. Mount Albert Grammar School.
  9. 1 2 Eriksen, Alanah (9 July 2012). "Leading Auckland retailer and benefactor dies at 99". New Zealand Herald. APN News & Media.
  10. ↑ "$12 m takeover bid for Woolworths". Otago Daily Times. Allied Press. 4 November 1978. p. 1.
  11. 1 2 "Obituary: Dennis Nathan". East Bays Courier. stuff.co.nz. 11 July 2012.
  12. ↑ "McKenzies (N.Z.) Ltd". natlib.govt.nz. National Library of New Zealand.
  13. 1 2 Grigg, Simon (3 January 2015). "Lost record stores of inner Auckland". Audio Culture.
  14. 1 2 de Boni, Dita (6 April 2001). "Woolworths, Gull join hands". Wilson & Horton. New Zealand Herald.
  15. ↑ Thorn, Geoff (25 May 2001). "Progressive applies for clearance to acquire Woolworths". Commerce Commission.
  16. 1 2 Boeyen, Phil. "Progressive makes new thrust". Sharechat. MoneyOnline.
  17. ↑ Hendery, Simon (14 December 2001). "Supermarket merger rejected". New Zealand Herald. Wilson & Horton.
  18. 1 2 3 Hendery, Simon (9 June 2002). "Speculation mounts on Woolworths $700m sale". New Zealand Herald. Wilson & Horton.
  19. ↑ "Store locations". woolworths.co.nz. Woolworths New Zealand. Archived from the original on 2 February 2003. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  20. ↑ Hendery, Simon (16 February 2004). "Big refresh pays off for Progressive supermarket chain". Wilson & Horton. New Zealand Herald.
  21. ↑ "Battle of the supermarket giants". Fairfax New Zealand. 31 January 2009.
  22. ↑ Business & Money
  23. ↑ "Supermarket Suspends Distribution Centres". XtraMSN. 29 August 2006. Archived from the original on 1 September 2006. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  24. ↑ "Store locations". progressive.co.nz. Progressive Enterprises. Archived from the original on 14 October 2008.
  25. ↑ "Woolworths EDI VAN Case Study | Trade Partners e-business". www.b2be.com. Archived from the original on 16 October 2014.
  26. ↑ "Last Woolworths and Foodtown stores farewelled". Countdown. 14 November 2011. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
  27. ↑ "Home". Archived from the original on 7 September 2011. Retrieved 8 September 2011.
  28. ↑ O'Neill, Rob (19 June 2011). "Gull swoops on Night 'n Day alliance". stuff.co.nz.
  29. ↑ "Countdown to Woolworths". www.woolworthsgroup.com.au. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  30. ↑ "Final Countdown: Supermarket giant rebranding back to Woolworths at cost of $400 million". The New Zealand Herald. 18 June 2023.
  31. ↑ Enerva, Kaycee (16 March 2023). "Woolworths to supply Circle K stores in New Zealand". Inside FMCG. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  32. ↑ "Minister gives supermarket duopoly ultimatum over wholesale deals". RNZ. 24 August 2022. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  33. ↑ "A new chapter for Bethlehem: Countdown Bethlehem the first to relaunch as Woolworths New Zealand".
  34. ↑ "Out for the count: First rebranded Woolworths supermarket opens in NZ". The New Zealand Herald. 17 August 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  35. ↑ "Bye-bye Countdown: NZ's first rebranded Woolworths opens". Otago Daily Times. 17 August 2023. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  36. ↑ "Consumer NZ warns of pitfalls of supermarket loyalty schemes". Radio New Zealand. 1 February 2024. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  37. ↑ "'Fraudulent behaviour' hits Woolworths Everyday Rewards launch". 1News. 9 February 2024. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  38. ↑ "Thousands of Woolworths supermarket staff strike". RNZ. 10 September 2024. Archived from the original on 10 September 2024. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
  39. ↑ Edmunds, Susan (16 December 2024). "Pay rises for Woolworths staff". RNZ. Archived from the original on 18 December 2024. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  40. ↑ Edmunds, Susan (10 April 2025). "Woolworths confirms restructure, closes two stores". RNZ. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
  41. ↑ McIlraith, Brianna (6 May 2025). "Criminal charges against Woolworths NZ filed by Commerce Commission". Stuff. Archived from the original on 7 May 2025. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  42. ↑ Raynel, Tom (8 December 2025). "Countdown Botany completes Woolworths rebrand as chain ends 14-year era". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
  43. ↑ "Woolworths NZ - Online Grocery Shopping - Formerly Countdown".
  44. ↑ "Foodtown, Woolworths brands on way out". The New Zealand Herald. 21 September 2009. Retrieved 4 November 2011.
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