26 Oct 2021

Busting the duopoly: the push for a third supermarket chain

From Nine To Noon, 9:30 am on 26 October 2021
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Photo: RNZ

Tex Edwards is the man behind a push for a third supermarket chain. He founded the telecommunications firm 2degrees, and is part of Northelia, a group of entrepreneurs keen to set up new supermarket chain in competition with the incumbents Woolworths NZ and Foodstuffs, if the regulatory environment is changed. Mr Edwards is also part of the lobby group Monopoly Watch. In a draft report in July, the Commerce Commission found that supermarkets were making excess profits,  and signalled it could require the incumbents to sell some of their stores and open up their distribution centres to rivals in order to help a third operator enter the market. The Commission is currently holding a virtual conference on its market study, with its final report due next year. Tex Edwards says New Zealanders are currently getting poor service and paying too much.