Foodstuffs break-up: Where the idea began, the problems and the only precedent

Analysis byKate MacNamaraBusiness Journalist·NZ Herald·16 Sep, 2026 11:00 PM6 mins to read‌NZ Herald senior correspondent Katie Bradford joins The Front Page to unpack the new supermarket policies and what they tell us about how the election campaign is taking shape.A grocery expert told the Commerce Commission in 2021 that breaking up Foodstuffs was an option but was also sceptical it would go far in denting grocery prices.Yesterday, the National Party joined New Zealand First in a plan, post-election, to break up the Foodstuffs co-operatives.