Supermarkets open to ‘meet need’

Many shoppers using Wanaka’s two New World Supermarkets yesterday were unaware the stores had opened illegally, but were "very glad" they chose to.

First Union lodged a formal complaint to the Labour Inspectorate at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) after reports New World Wanaka and New World Three Parks planned to open yesterday.

"This flagrant abuse of the Holidays Act is appalling," First Union regional secretary Paul Watson said.

However, a Foodstuffs spokeswoman said the stores had opened "in order to meet the needs of the community".

Both stores had a steady stream of customers throughout Good Friday.

Most shoppers spoken to by the Otago Daily Times said they did not know the supermarkets had contravened the Holidays Act by opening, but notwithstanding the legislation breach, they were "very glad" they had.

Mike Botting, of Wanaka, said "thank God they were open" because they had run out of food.

Sharon McEwan and Sharon Johnson, both of Invercargill, were in town to attend Wheels at Wanaka and needed food for the weekend.

New World Wanaka owners Justin and Joss Purcell and the manager of New World Three Parks declined to speak to the ODT.

Foodstuffs head of corporate affairs Antoinette Laird said the Easter holiday had come on the back of "a very challenging year" for the Queenstown and Wanaka community which had been severely impacted by Covid-19 and the lack of international tourism to the area.

Many businesses were struggling and Easter was a time when local tourism could provide them with much needed revenue, Ms Laird said.

"In situations like this our store owners make an informed decision to put their community, staff and customers’ needs first and we know the local community appreciates the ability to be able to access much-needed groceries over the holidays.

"In order to meet the needs of the community, our Wanaka stores have taken the decision to open over the Easter holiday, just as many Queenstown businesses do."

Due to the size of the town there were a limited number of grocery options available to the local community. If stores did not open, holidaymakers would struggle to satisfy their food needs, she said.
Mr Watson said he received a complaint from a Wanaka person who was upset the two supermarkets were openly advertising they would be open for business on Good Friday.

"These supermarkets are already allowed to trade on Saturday, Sunday and Monday in Wanaka over the Easter weekend, allowing plenty of time for the local community and visitors to shop."

The point of the Holidays Act was to allow workers time off to rest with their families and, for some, to acknowledge and observe the religious relevance of the Easter period.

MBIE regional manager labour inspectorate David Milne said it had "reached out" to major retail brands like Foodstuffs and Countdown to remind them of their obligations around restricted shop trading days.

The Labour Inspectorate did not disclose operational details relating to the enforcement of shop trading, Mr Milne said yesterday.

Information on shop trading hours enforcement activity by the Labour Inspectorate over the Easter weekend would not be immediately available. It would be collated in the next four weeks, he said.

In 2017, retailers in Wanaka were given the green light to open legally on Easter Sunday for the first time after the Queenstown Lakes District Council voted earlier that year to relax the rules which had prohibited most retailers from opening.

In 2016, the Government changed the law, giving local councils the power to pass bylaws legalising trading on Easter Sunday.

Although trading remains restricted for most businesses on Good Friday, many shops in Wanaka have defied the law for years and opened for business.

Dairies and service stations (with restrictions on what food and goods they can sell) cafes, restaurants, and souvenir shops are among those that can open on Good Friday.

Businesses that trade on Good Friday can be fined up to $1000, especially if they had been previously warned and prosecuted.