The Green Party announces a plan to create a publicly owned supermarket chain, called KiwiMart, aimed at breaking New Zealand’s supermarket duopoly and reducing the cost of food. The party frames the proposal as part of its “Affordable Kai” election policy.
The plan includes purchasing or otherwise acquiring supermarket sites—one source says buying 120 supermarkets from Woolworths and Foodstuffs—and acquiring related distribution capacity, including two distribution centres. The stated purpose is to introduce a new competitor into the market rather than rely on existing operators.
The outlets also describe a budget estimate for establishing and growing the chain. One source puts the cost of setting up KiwiMart and buying the proposed number of stores and distribution centres at about $2.8 billion. Another source emphasizes the policy’s goal of dismantling the duopoly structure and improving price outcomes for shoppers, without adding further details in its headline coverage.
