Local dairies sit at the heart of many communities.

Local dairies sit at the heart of many communities, providing convenient shopping options, especially for the less mobile, but also offer an important opportunity for social interaction for more isolated members of the community. However, the corner dairy as we know it is under threat from declining sales, crime, changing consumer preferences, and regulatory red tape around the sale of smokefree tobacco products.

A 2018 report by Retail NZ suggests that, in order to remain viable and build their businesses into the future, dairies need to diversify and improve their customer experience. Government action is also required to help reduce crime, introduce risk-proportionate regulation of smokefree tobacco products, and make sure that Kiwis know about the importance of healthy eating.