Retail Advocacy - Working for you

We’re proud to be the voice of NZ retailers

As the peak body for New Zealand retailers, advocacy is a core mission of Retail NZ. By lobbying Government Ministers and policymakers, we make sure your interests are heard at the Beehive and at all levels of government. Here’s an outline of some of the advocacy work we do at Retail NZ.

See current consultations open to feedback from members

Read recent submissions we’ve made on the issues that matter to retailers

Join our working groups on ongoing retail issues.

What we stand for

Reducing the cost of doing business.
A fair playing field for all NZ retailers.
Growing opportunities for retailers, to help you deliver great shopping experiences.
Minimising red tape & compliance requirements that get in the way.
Allowing consumers to make their own informed decisions about shopping.
Ensuring the retail industry is recognised as a key contributor to New Zealand’s economic prosperity.

What we do

Meet directly with key stakeholders and policymakers to discuss retail issues. Retail NZ also has a seat on the Ministerial Advisory Group on retail crime.
Speak up for the retail sector in the media, raising awareness of retail issues on a national scale.
Make submissions on open consultations, to influence new policy to better align with retailers’ needs.
We actively work with our members to inform our advocacy, ensuring we accurately represent retailers. Members can share their views via surveys, email, phone and dedicated working groups.

Your voice matters: the input and feedback we receive from members is invaluable to our advocacy work.

What we’re working on right now

Open consultations we are seeking Retail NZ member feedback on will be listed here, so check back regularly to see current topics of interest. If you are aware of any other issues we should be commenting on, get in touch at [email protected].

Seeking feedback — exploring direct importation under the TTMRA

MBIE is investigating how direct importation could work within the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Arrangement (TTMRA) and would like feedback from businesses to help inform this initiative. If you’d like to share your views on how this could work or the impact this could have on New Zealand businesses, please get in contact. More details below.

The Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Arrangement (TTMRA) is a non-treaty arrangement between New Zealand and Australia’s Commonwealth, state and territory governments, which enables goods which are legally sold in one country to be sold in the other, and workers of one country to work in the other.

MBIE are currently exploring an option to require international businesses to have a strong connection to either Australia or New Zealand (or both) to benefit from direct importation under the TTMRA. Your input will be invaluable to MBIE to assess the full impact upon the New Zealand and Australian business community, and we thank you in advance for any input that you might contribute.

We invite you to send us your thoughts, ideas and feedback about this initiative, with a focus on the following questions:

How can a business demonstrate a strong connection or Australia or New Zealand (or both?)
What are the practical manufacturing and financial implications for businesses that are currently unable to direct import under the TTMRA?
Do you have any data, insights or examples of particular goods manufactured in 3rd countries by Trans-Tasman businesses?
Are you aware of situations where the differences between regulatory selling requirements between New Zealand and Australian could cause a business to use the TTMRA importation option, or only operate in one market, rather than complying with both sets of requirements?

Please email your input to [email protected] by Tuesday 22 April.

Recent submissions to Government

Retail NZ provides the Government with retailers’ views on law changes and legislative proposals. Read our recent submissions.

Draft Biometric Processing Privacy Code – March 2025, Office of the Privacy Commissioner.
Retail NZ has called on the Privacy Commissioner to take account of wider societal issues like crime and its impacts on the physical and mental wellbeing of retailers, staff and customers when finalising the Biometric Processing Privacy Code. In our submission on the draft Code, we say it must not hinder innovation or place excessive burdens on businesses wanting to use biometrics. Our May 2024 submission previously advised against the need for a biometric code of practice for similar reasons.

Crimes Legislation (Stalking and Harassment) Amendment Bill – February 2025, Justice Committee.
We support the overall aim of this Bill, which will assist retail employers’ efforts to keep their staff as safe as possible, while they are at work, and when commuting to and from their workplace. We hope it will be a deterrent against abusive behaviour and reinforce the message that threats, intimidation and persistent harassment – whether in person or via digital means – will not be tolerated in a retail environment.

Work Health & Safety Review – October 2024, Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment.
Our submission said health and safety legislation is fit for purpose to enable workplace safety. However, we called for more up to date guidance and support to be available to businesses.The submission will feed into a review of Work Health & Safety legislation.

Sentencing (Reform) Amendment Bill – October 2024, Justice Committee.
Retail NZ says retail workers are traumatised by crime whether they work in a small store or in a big-box outlet. Our submission on the Sentencing (Reform) Amendment Bill says offences against any retail worker must be treated as an aggravating factor at sentencing, not only sole charge workers or where a business is connected to a home.

Companies (Address Information) Amendment Bill – May 2024, Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee.
Retail NZ called for company directors to be allowed to keep their residential addresses private if they wish.

Payments for the next generation – March 2025, Payments NZ.
Retail NZ supports plans to modernise Aotearoa New Zealand’s payments system but says retailers must be involved in developments to ensure their needs are met. The submission is in response to Payments NZ’s consultation on what a next-gen payments system should look like.

Interchange Fee Regulation – March 2025, Commerce Commission.
Retail NZ supports the Commerce Commission proposal to set lower fee caps for the Interchange component of the designated Mastercard and Visa networks. But we want the Commission to go further and look at other aspects of the retail payment system.

Retail Payment System consultation – September 2024, Commerce Commission.
Retail NZ’s submission supported further regulation to reduce interchange fees but called on the Commerce Commission to go much further by regulating all components of merchant service fees, all card schemes and all payment types, to ensure fair and reasonable charges.
Result: in December 2024, the Commerce Commission issued a draft decision for consultation. Retail NZ is currently seeking member feedback on this.

Digital cash in New Zealand consultation – July 2024, Reserve Bank of New Zealand.
Retail NZ is in favour of digital cash being introduced to New Zealand. However, our submission said work is needed to ensure that the payments infrastructure is ready. We also highlighted the importance of security and safety for both retailers and consumers.

Improving retail payments: payments between bank accounts – May 2024, Commerce Commission.
Retail NZ supported the Commerce Commission’s proposal to designate the interbank payment network. We support this move as a necessary step towards creating an effective and efficient regulatory landscape that promotes innovation in retail payments.
Result: in August 2024, the Commerce Commission recommended to the Minister of Commerce that the interbank payment network should be designated under the Retail Payment System Act.

Options for the future of Work-Based Learning – February 2025, Ministry of Education.
New Zealand’s work-based learning system must be responsive to industry needs, deliver the skills that employers need in a timely and cost-effective manner, and be of high quality. In our submission on the future of work-based learning, Retail NZ says industry must be consulted on changes to the system.

Employment Relations (Pay Deductions for Partial Strikes) Amendment Bill – January 2025, Education and Workforce Committee. Retail NZ supports the aim of this Bill, which gives employers the ability to fairly and transparently deduct pay from their employees during a partial strike.

Employees’ right to disclose their remuneration – January 2025, Education and Workforce Committee.
Retail NZ supported the Employment Relations (Employee Remuneration Disclosure) Amendment Bill, which would allow employees to share details of their remuneration with a third party. The Bill aims to help avoid pay discrimination.

Vocational Education and Training reforms – September 2024, Ministry of Education.
Our submission seeks continuing support for work-based learning and those with learning challenges, greater industry input to standards-setting, and a system that is more responsive to changes in market circumstances and technological developments.

Supporting Wellington business through disruption on the Golden Mile – April 2025, Minister Chris Bishop.
Retail NZ, alongside the Wellington Chamber and Hospitality NZ, has signed a joint letter urging Minister Chris Bishop to co-fund a $5 million hardship fund. The proposed fund would support Wellington Golden Mile businesses facing severe disruption from upcoming construction, similar to the approach in Auckland with the City Rail Link and the Hardship Fund.

Right to Repair Bill – April 2025, Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee.
Retail NZ supports the ‘Right to Repair’ Bill in principle but says the proposed legislation is unworkable in practice. In our submission, we have made several suggestions for changes but recommend the Bill does not proceed.

Taxation and the not-for-profit sector – March 2025, Inland Revenue Department.
Retail NZ has deep concerns at any suggestion that not-for-profit associations and charities should be taxed more. Our submission on Inland Revenue’s consultation says that both charities and incorporated societies should be supported to continue delivering social and public good.

Recovering the costs of goods management activities at the border – October 2024, New Zealand Customs Service.
Proposed new export fees on low value exports (under $1000) would unfairly impact small e-commerce retailers, Retail NZ says. We called for the proposed fee of $3.50 per consignment to be reviewed.
Result: Customs is proceeding with new fees on low value exports but has delayed their introduction until 1 April 2026 to give ecommerce businesses time to adjust.

Smokefree Environment & Regulated Products Amendment Bill (No2) – October 2024, Health Select Committee.
We called for changes to the proposed legislation that aimed to reduce young people’s access to vaping products. We suggested stronger penalties for supplying minors with vapes and a change to the definition of ‘disposable vaping product’.
Result: appropriate changes were made to the definition of disposable vaping product. The law changes passed in December 2024.

Length measurements regulations – September 2024, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
Retail NZ supported a proposal to introduce a General Certificate of Approval or standard for length measures to ensure customers are not short-changed when buying goods by length. Manufacturers and importers would need to sell compliant length measures and retailers would need to use compliant length measures, but with a suitably long transition period.

Proposed levies for food businesses and food importers – March 2024, Ministry for Primary Industries.
Retail NZ pointed out that retail businesses are being challenged by the current economic conditions and any extra costs would have to be passed on to consumers.

Gift Card Expiry Bill – September 2023, Economic Development, Science, and Innovation Committee.
We supported the overall aim of the Bill, which was to ensure people have sufficient time to redeem the value of gift cards. However, we called for a 12 month transition period and highlighted issues with the treatment of gift cards in accounting.
Result: the Bill was passed into law in September 2024, with a longer transition period as we requested.

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Join our working groups

We have set up several working groups for members to provide input into our advocacy efforts. These include groups on Retail Crime, Sustainability, Retail Payments and Holidays Act/Employment issues.

We welcome all perspectives from retailers, large and small. If you or a colleague are a Retail NZ member and interested in participating in one of the below groups, please contact [email protected].

Retail payments system

Making the cost structure of payments simple and easy to understand is critical to support ongoing uptake of new technologies, and to ensuring that payments on retail transactions are safe and seamless. Retail NZ is actively advocating for a more efficient and transparent retail payments system, with support from members of our working group.

Join this working group
Read our position on payments

Retail crime

Retail crime presents a health and safety risk to employees and customers, and to the financial sustainability of retail businesses. With support from our Retail Crime working group, Retail NZ is working to develop solutions to support retailers in the fight against crime.

Join this working group
Read our position on retail crime
Visit our retail crime advice hub

Sustainability

Protecting New Zealand’s environment is a shared responsibility between producers, manufacturers, brand-owners, retailers, consumers, and central and local government. Retail NZ’s Sustainability working group seeks solutions for retailers’ environmental challenges, and shares information on best practice.

Join this working group
Read our position on sustainability

Human resources

The Government is reviewing a wide range of employment law in 2025, including the Holidays Act, Health & Safety at Work Act and the Employment Relations Act. Retail NZ will respond to these consultations with support and input from our Human Resources working group.

Join this working group