These policies were last reviewed and updated on 16/09. Policy positions are reviewed and updated every Wednesday.
National says it wants a “more competitive grocery market that delivers better prices and more choice for Kiwi shoppers” and “remain open to potential market-led solutions that may be put forward by the major incumbents”.
Between March and May 2025, the Government ran a Request for Information process to inform a work programme, now underway and lead by MBIE.
This programme has three streams (Enforcement, Regulatory, Structural) running in parallel
Labour is yet to release a supermarket and grocery policy for the 2026 election, but recently suggested a policy would be released soon.
The Green Party wants to create a publicly-owned supermarket chain called KiwiMart, by acquiring 120 stores and two distribution centres from Foodstuffs and Woolworths. In addition, it wants to ban “excessive pricing” and increase funding, penalties and powers for the Commerce Commission.
ACT disagrees with government-enforced purchase or breakup of the incumbent grocery brands. It prefers to reduce the time to consent for a new supermarket, and reducing friction for foreign investors.
NZ First says it will “introduce legislation to reform the system and break up Foodstuffs into two nationwide cooperatives based on brand: one for New World and Four Square, and another for Pak’nSave – putting both in direct competition with Woolworths New Zealand”.
Te Pāti Māori says it will “break corporate control by supporting Māori-owned supermarkets and protecting local kai sellers.”
In May 2026, Te Tai Tokerau MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi announced she was splitting from Te Pāti Māori and would contest the 2026 General Election as part of a new political party, named Te Tai Tokerau Party. Ms Kapa-Kingi announced the party would be grounded in tino rangatiratanga, local decision-making, and mana mokopuna. We will post the party policies here as they’re released.
Opportunity has not released any supermarket or grocery policy for the 2026 election.
Retail NZ has included the policies of all parties currently represented in Parliament, listed in order of the number of seats they currently occupy. Additionally, any parties that poll at or above 3% in a political poll during 2026* will also be included underneath, in chronological order of when they met that threshold. Policies are reviewed and updated every Wednesday.
*Opportunity reached 3% in the 1News Verian Poll on 19 April 2026.
Are you looking for a policy you cannot find? Do you have any feedback? Let us know by clicking the button below.
We are proud to represent New Zealand retail, business owners and employers. Through our tireless advocacy work, we are New Zealand’s peak body for retailers. Learn more about how we lobby government for you.
