Retail NZ

1. Business / Trading Name: Retail NZ (officially Retail NZ Incorporated) (formerly known as the New Zealand Retailers’ Association).

2. Company Number: 345871 (Incorporated Society registration number).

3. New Zealand Business Number (NZBN): 9429000014526

4. Entity Type: Incorporated Society (non-profit membership organisation).

5. Industry/Sector: Retail Industry Peak Body – a national trade association lobbying on behalf of the retail sector.

6. Date Established: 1921 (founded as the New Zealand Retailers’ Federation in 1921).

7. Founding Origins: Formed as a federation of 15 regional retailers’ associations that remained autonomous, managed by a national council. Evolved through the 20th century into a unified national association.

8. Registered Address: Level 9, 175 Victoria Street, Wellington 6011, New Zealand.

9. Postal Address: PO Box 12086, Thorndon, Wellington 6144, New Zealand.

10. Contact Phone: 0800 472 472 (NZ toll-free) / +64 4 805 0830 (Wellington office).

11. Contact Email: info@retail.kiwi

12. Website: www.retail.kiwi.

13. Board President: Liz Wheadon – President of Retail NZ’s Board (General Manager of Normanby Fine Wines, part of Glengarry Wines). Elected by members, she leads the board of directors.

14. Board Vice-President: Jules Lloyd-Jones – Vice President (Chief of Customer Marketing & Inspiration at Mitre 10 (NZ) Ltd).

15. Chief Executive Officer: Carolyn Young – CEO of Retail NZ (appointed 2023, previously an industry executive). She succeeded Greg Harford (CEO 2019–2023, a former public affairs manager).

16. Employees: Approximately 11–50 staff (full-time equivalent), including policy advisors, membership services, and marketing personnel. The core team is based in Wellington.

17. Membership Coverage: Represents over two-thirds of New Zealand’s retail sector by sales turnover. Retail NZ claims its member businesses account for more than 66% of total retail spending in NZ. Membership spans from large nationwide chains to small independent retailers.

18. Notable Member Companies: The Warehouse Group, Foodstuffs, Mitre 10, and other major retail enterprises are represented on Retail NZ’s board. This indicates that New Zealand’s biggest supermarket, general merchandise, and hardware chains all actively steer the organisation.

19. Affiliations: BusinessNZ – Retail NZ is a member of BusinessNZ’s Affiliated Industries Group, the umbrella body for industry associations. It is also the New Zealand representative in the Federation of Asia-Pacific Retailers Associations (FAPRA), networking with retail bodies across Asia-Pacific.

20. Annual Revenue: Approximately NZ$2.64 million (estimated annual sales revenue). This income is derived mainly from membership fees and commercial activities. (Dun & Bradstreet estimates Retail NZ’s annual sales revenue at $2.64M, indicating the scale of its operations).

21. Strategic Partners / Sponsors: Westpac, Meridian Energy, Mastercard, Visa, and Z Energy are among Retail NZ’s top corporate partners. These sponsorships provide financial support and member benefit programs (e.g. discounted services), but also link Retail NZ to major banking and energy interests.

22. Charitable Status: Not a registered charity. Retail NZ operates as a non-profit industry association but is not on the Charities Register (its advocacy for member businesses falls outside the charitable purpose criteria). It is tax-registered as a non-profit incorporated society, not a charity.

23. Lobbyist Registration: N/A – No mandatory lobbyist register in NZ. New Zealand has no official lobbying register. Retail NZ and its staff lobby government directly without any legal requirement to disclose lobbying activities or clients (aside from voluntary transparency). The Integrity Institute’s register (this profile) is an unofficial transparency initiative.

24. Government Relations: Recognised bargaining agent and policy stakeholder. Retail NZ was officially approved as an employer bargaining party in the Fair Pay Agreement process for sectors including Hospitality (FPA01-001-2022) and Supermarkets (FPA01-004-2022). Government ministries (e.g. MBIE, Treasury) regularly consult Retail NZ on retail, employment, and consumer policy issues. Ministers and MPs often reference Retail NZ’s input during policy debates on commerce and labour reforms.

25. Core Activities: Advocacy, Advisory, and Industry Development. Retail NZ’s primary objective is to “represent, support and promote the interests of retailers”. It lobbies central and local government for pro-retail policies, makes submissions on legislation, provides advice and resources to member businesses (e.g. on employment law compliance, retail operations), and runs industry events and research. Retail NZ positions itself as “the countrywide retail industry lobby group to Government”, while also offering services like a member advice helpline and training workshops.

26. Publications: NZ Retail magazine – Retail NZ’s official magazine (first published in 1948), provides industry news and analysis. Retail NZ also produces the annual Retail NZ Wages Guide (benchmarking retail pay rates) and periodic reports on retail sales trends, consumer confidence, and retail crime. These publications support its advocacy with data and inform its members.

27. Industry Events: Retail NZ Awards (Top Shop Awards) – A national awards program recognising excellence in retail, established decades ago as “Top Shop.” Retail NZ hosts the awards gala (recently rebranded as the Retail NZ Awards), which is a high-profile event for the sector. It also runs the Retail Hotlist and regional events, and has launched initiatives like the “Retail: Unplugged” podcast for member engagement.

28. Specialty Groups: Integrated Sector Associations. Retail NZ incorporates several specialist retail trade groups within its structure, including the NZ Sporting Goods Association (NZSGA), Bicycle Industry Association of NZ (BIANZ), Pet Industry Association (PIA), and the Jewellers’ Association of NZ (JANZ). These semi-autonomous groups operate under the Retail NZ umbrella, indicating Retail NZ’s broad representation across retail sub-sectors (sporting goods, bikes, pet stores, jewellery, etc.).

29. Former Names: New Zealand Retailers’ Association (NZRA) – until 2014. The organisation traded as NZ Retailers’ Association for many years before rebranding to “Retail NZ” in October 2014. Earlier, it was commonly known as the Retailers’ Federation. The 2014 rebrand was intended to modernise the image and reflect a more inclusive, forward-looking identity for the industry body.

Sources:

[1] The Constitution of Retail NZ Inc. (2023) – Retail NZ (official website), https://retail.kiwi/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Retail-NZ-constitution-as-at-17-January-2023.pdf (Name, purpose and registration details of Retail NZ)

[2] The Rules of Retail NZ (Incorporated) – Retail NZ (official website), PDF of rules adopted 2018, https://retail.kiwi/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Retail-NZ-rule-changes-15-August-2018-FINAL.pdf (Registered number WN/345871 and official name)

[3] Retail NZ Incorporated – Company Profile – Katalyst Business, https://www.katalystbusiness.co.nz/business-profiles/024207.html (Head office address, PO Box, phone, and former trading name as NZ Retailers Association)

[4] Retail NZ – LinkedIn Profile – LinkedIn.com, https://nz.linkedin.com/company/retail-nz (Description of Retail NZ as NZ’s leading retailers association; HQ Wellington; company size 11–50; industry non-profit)

[5] Ziera Shoes Named Supreme TopShop in All of New Zealand – Scoop News, 24 Oct 2014, https://m.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1410/S00924.htm (Press release noting Retail NZ is “formerly known as the New Zealand Retailers’ Association” and description of Retail NZ Top Shop Awards)

[6] New Zealand Retailers’ Federation was set up in 1921 – National Library of NZ – Retail NZ Records, Ref: ATL-Group-00705, https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22426681 (Historical note: federation of 15 district associations from 1921, autonomous but managed by a national council)

[7] Retail NZ Board of Directors (2025) – Retail NZ (official site), https://retail.kiwi/about-retail-nz/board-of-directors/ (Board listing: Liz Wheadon – President; Jules Lloyd-Jones – Vice President; directors from The Warehouse Group, Foodstuffs, Lotto NZ, Booksellers, etc., with affiliations)

[8] Retail NZ Team – Meet the Team – Retail NZ (official site), https://retail.kiwi/about-retail-nz/meet-the-team/ (Leadership and staff: Carolyn Young – CEO; Ann-Marie Johnson – Advocacy/Comms Manager; other staff roles and contact info)

[9] Members – Federation of Asia-Pacific Retailers Associations (FAPRA) – FAPRA official site, https://www.fapra.net/members/ (Retail NZ (incorporated) listed as New Zealand member, website retail.kiwi)

[10] BusinessNZ Affiliated Industries Group Members – BusinessNZ, https://businessnz.org.nz/major-companies-group/aig/ (Lists Retail NZ as member of Affiliated Industries Group; explanation of AIG giving industry associations access to BusinessNZ networks)

[11] Dun & Bradstreet Business Directory – Retail NZ Incorporated – D&B (2023 entry via dnb.com), Business & Professional Organizations (NZ), https://www.dnb.com/business-directory (Lists Retail NZ Inc., Wellington; Sales Revenue $2.64M)

[12] MBIE Public Notice – Fair Pay Agreement Bargaining Party (Retail NZ) – Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment, 28 Aug 2023, https://www.mbie.govt.nz/dmsdocument/27417…retail-new-zealand-incorporated.pdf (Official approval of Retail NZ Inc. as employer bargaining party for proposed Hospitality industry FPA, reference FPA01-001-2022)

[13] MBIE Public Notice – Fair Pay Agreement Bargaining Party (Retail NZ) – MBIE, 8 Aug 2023, https://www.mbie.govt.nz/dmsdocument/27273…retail-nz-incorporated.pdf (Official approval of Retail NZ Inc. as employer bargaining party for proposed Grocery Supermarket FPA, FPA01-004-2022)

[14] Launching the NZ Lobbying & Influence Register – Bryce Edwards, LinkedIn Article, 7 Apr 2025, https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/launching-nz-lobbying-influence-register-bryce-edwards (Overview of Integrity Institute’s unofficial register; notes NZ has no official lobbying register and is “lagging” in transparency)

[15] RNZ News – Retailers welcome demise of ‘unnecessary’ Fair Pay Agreements legislation – Radio New Zealand, 12 Dec 2023, https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/504516/ (Carolyn Young of Retail NZ criticizing FPAs as unnecessary; Retail NZ celebrating government’s repeal of FPA law)

[16] RNZ News – Should stores close on Easter Sunday? – Radio New Zealand, 20 Apr 2025, https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/corrections/558629/ (Retail NZ CEO Carolyn Young says Easter trading rules are outdated and legislation should change to allow Easter Sunday trading; emphasizes maintaining workers’ right to refuse)

[17] 1News – Proposed citizen’s arrest laws for retail — calls for more detail – TVNZ 1 News, 2023 (headline via 1news.co.nz, mentions Retail NZ chief executive said majority of members strongly oppose expanded citizen’s arrest, calling it extremely dangerous)

[18] Food Ticker – Modest minimum wage increase welcomed by business, retail – FoodTicker.co.nz, 26 Jan 2024, https://www.foodticker.co.nz/modest-minimum-wage-increase-welcomed-by-business-retail/ (Retail NZ “relieved” that 2024 minimum wage increase held to 2%; Carolyn Young’s comments)

[19] Retail NZ Media Release – Retailers Look Forward to Good Christmas (2014) – Retail NZ (via Scoop InfoPages), 17 Nov 2014, https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1411/S00623.htm (Retail NZ press release: describes Retail NZ as representing both traditional and online retailers nationwide; includes CEO quote on trading conditions)

[20] MBIE Issues Paper – Retail Payment Systems in NZ (BusinessNZ submission) – Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment, 2017 (BusinessNZ submission citing “research undertaken by and for Retail NZ” comparing NZ payment fees internationally, by Covec)

[21] Retail NZ Position Statement – Shop Trading Hours (2025) – Retail NZ (retail.kiwi resource, updated Mar 2025) (Retail NZ’s official stance on shop trading hours, likely reflecting desire for nationwide liberalisation and details on current law)

[22] Tax Policy IRD – GST on low-value imported goods submissions (Sept 2018) – NZ Inland Revenue, https://taxpolicy.ird.govt.nz/-/media/project/ir/tp/publications/2018/2018-submit-lvig/2018-submit-lvig-08-retail-nz.pdf (Retail NZ submission on GST changes, mentions lack of NZBN register showing GST status)

[23] Scoop News – Retailers Call For Flexibility On Easter Trading Hours – Scoop.co.nz, 17 April 2025, https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU2504/S00136.htm (Retail NZ press release calling for Easter trading flexibility; reflects ongoing lobbying in 2025)

[24] The Spinoff – Retailers split on controversial citizen’s arrest plans – TheSpinoff.co.nz, 2023, https://thespinoff.co.nz/business/ (Article noting Retail NZ’s Carolyn Young opposed the citizen’s arrest expansion, calling it dangerous and not supported by majority of retailers)

[25] Transparency International NZ – Lobbying in NZ (Let’s Level the Playing Field campaign) – TINZ/Helen Clark Foundation/Health Coalition, Apr 2025 (Campaign calling for lobbying transparency reforms, cites need for register)

Spot anything in this entry that is wrong? Please either leave a comment at the end or email, in confidence: bryce@democracyproject.nz