Review of the Grocery Supply Code
As part of its grocery responsibilities the Commission is required to review the operation and effectiveness of the Grocery Supply Code.
The Grocery Supply Code sets out rules for the conduct of regulated grocery retailers (RGRs) Foodstuffs North Island, Foodstuffs South Island and Woolworths New Zealand when dealing with grocery suppliers.
The Grocery Supply Code was developed to address the imbalance in bargaining power between RGRs and their suppliers. Its purpose is to promote competition and efficiency in the grocery industry by:
- promoting fair conduct, and prohibiting unfair conduct
- promoting transparency and certainty about the terms of agreements
- contributing to a trading environment that supports competition, confident participants and a diverse range of suppliers in the grocery industry.
In line with our statutory duties, the first review of the operation and effectiveness of the Grocery Supply Code was completed in September 2025.
As a result of this review a new code, “Grocery Supply Code 2025” was made on 16 October 2025 and will come into force on the later of
- 1 May 2026; or
- once the Code’s penalties have been confirmed (a process led by the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment).
Final documents including the Final Report, Reasons and Decisions and the Grocery Supply Code 2025 can be found in the ‘Documents’ section at the bottom of this page.
About the review
Request for Views
We began the review on 1 August 2023 by releasing a Request for Views Paper to help determine the scope, focus, and overall approach we adopted in reviewing the Code. The Request for Views paper, and the submissions and cross-submissions we received in response can be found in the Documents section below.
Grocery Supplier Survey
In November 2024, the Commerce Commission undertook an anonymous survey in partnership with the research agency TRA. The survey included questions to help inform this review of the Grocery Supply Code. Links to the survey report are included in the draft and final review reports.
Draft Report, Reasons and Decisions
On 5 June 2025, we published the Draft Report which summarised the review’s draft findings regarding the operation and effectiveness of the Code and our preliminary opinion that the Code should be amended to enable it to better meet its purpose under the Grocery Industry Competition Act 2023. The Draft Report also introduced a new draft Code and set out our draft decisions and reasons for the proposed changes.
The Code Review Draft Report Decisions and Reasons, submissions and cross-submissions received can be found in the ‘Documents’ section at the bottom of this page.
Final Report, Reasons and Decisions
The Final Report, Reasons and Decisions can be found in the ‘Documents’ section at the bottom of this page.
This report has also been provided to the Acting Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.
The new Grocery Supply Code 2025
The Grocery Supply Code 2025 will come into force on the later of 1 May 2026 or when either or both of regulations 9 and 10 of the Regulations, which prescribe the level of penalties applying to contraventions of the Code, are first revoked or amended.
A document highlighting the differences between the Grocery Supply Code 2023 and the Grocery Supply Code 2025 can be found in the ‘Documents’ section at the bottom of this page.
Transition
The current Code remains in force until the Grocery Supply Code 2025 comes into effect.For information about the current Code including our factsheet and checklist, visit Information for suppliers or Information for regulated grocery retailers. Further updates will be added to these pages over time.
If you wish to report a concern about the behaviour of a regulated grocery retailer you can do so through our website.
Future reviews
Our work to support the operation and effectiveness of the Grocery Supply Code is ongoing. Please contact us if you have questions or feedback. The next review of the Code must be completed no later than 29 October 2030.