News and media releases

Countdown Hawera has re-opened its doors today as the country’s first ‘Be. Accessible’ accredited supermarket, after a significant refurbishment put mobility and accessibility at the heart of the store’s redesign.

From today, Countdown’s Dunedin stores are trialling CCS Disability Action’s Access Aware app, designed to report the misuse of mobility car parks in real time and help keep mobility parks free for when people need them most.

Countdown has become the first large New Zealand supermarket retailer to offer only 100 per cent organic Braeburn apples at supermarkets nationwide, rather than the conventionally-grown variety, as demand for organics grows at more than twice the speed of the conventional market.

Countdown customers have voted to donate $100,000 to three of New Zealand’s most loved charities, with KidsCan receiving $37,635, The Salvation Army $34,845, and Forest & Bird $32,550.

Countdown has announced the recipients of its 2019 Food Rescue Partners Contestable Fund, with $165,000 provided to 12 charities in this year’s round.  

Countdown has now donated more than $435,000 to food rescue partners over the last three years, which is designed to increase the capacity and help grow food rescue charities to collect surplus food and distribute it to Kiwis in need.

From today Countdown, SuperValue and FreshChoice customers can donate to The Christchurch Foundation’s Our People, Our City Fund at checkouts nationwide.

As one of the first companies in New Zealand to embed a Family Violence Policy across its business, Countdown has today shared the positive impact its policy has made for its team ahead of the government’s Domestic Violence - Victims’ Protection Act coming into effect on 1 April.

Countdown joined the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon Iain Lees-Galloway, Under-Secretary Jan Logie and representatives from Shine and the Human Rights Commission at its Cable Car Lane store to discuss why the new law is so important.

Countdown has been researching the food trends for the coming year and says that kefir is at the top of the list of products Kiwis will be throwing into their trolleys.

Kefir is a fizzy, milky drink bursting with bacteria that's great for your gut. It can also be made from water or coconut milk.  Countdown dietician Deb Sue says that customers continue to embrace products that aid gut health as the trend that focus on digestive wellness continues to resonate.

The humble egg has always been a source of great debate, whether it came before or after the chicken, or whether it’s best fried sunny-side-up or down, poached, boiled or scrambled.  But for Countdown customers, there is now one less egg mystery to solve - where your free range eggs were laid.

From today, Countdown has introduced egg stamping on all its own brand of free range eggs, ensuring full traceability from farm to plate.  The new stamp uses food grade ink, which is safe to eat and will not affect the egg, and prints a Countdown logo and code on each egg at the farm, right after being laid and before packaging.

Woolworths NZ has today announced its half year profit result, and with more than 40 per cent in online shopping sales growth over the first half of the financial year, online now sits at 6.5 per cent of Woolworths NZ’s total sales.

Countdown customers’ uptake of online services are right up there when compared to global markets, with customers loving the convenience of delivery and Pick Up services nationwide.