The Supermarket Sleuth

Magic Talk: Weekend Life March 6 - Supermarket Sleuth reports

Supermarket Sleuth complains about the Commerce Commission investigation into New Zealand's supermarket industry. He suggests that it will not make a difference. He's quizzed by this week's host Roman Travers.

CHECKOUT: How Asian immigrants have influenced the New Zealand supermarket industry

This week we take a brief look at the Asian incluence on New Zealand's supermarkets before turning to fresh food, starting with produce.

Supermarket Sleuth: What's causing so much food waste around the world and the action consumers can take to make a difference.

This week we look at food waste before updating progress of Asda under its new owners, finding out about something odd that's just been bought by Morrisons and discovering that business is not going too well for Aldi in the UK. We also look at Australia and learn how woolworths is doing as well as considering why Aldi has not yet opened an online business and wonder when it will. 

CHECKOUT; The Australian influence on the New Zealand supermarket industry

Apart from the fact that Woolworth Australia owns three of our supermarkets - Countdown and the two franchises Fresh Choice and Supervalue, a great deal of our supermarket imports are made in Australia as in other parts of the world. Some of our food manufacturers in New Zealand also export to Australia, so it's a two-way traffic.

Supermarket Sleuth: Aldi is tops again in the UK, says latest Which? annual survey

This week we look at Aldi's achievement in Customer Satisfaction and who fell to the bottom of the top ten. The German discounter has also taken to task it Easter eggs to do away with some of the unnecessary packaging - but to do that, part of the egg had to change shape! We also find out which supermarket category has booming sales as a result of the pandemic. We then zoom down the globe to find out what Australia's second largest chain supermarket has been up to.

CHECKOUT Taking a look at Fairtrade

This week I read further from my book CHECKOUT published in 2013 of the Fairtrade organisation.

Coles claims to have the fastest Click'nCollect service in Australia

This week we report frrom Australia, the UK and New Zealand and as we started recording a Breaking News item from the UK came in.

Magic Talk: Supermarket Sleuth investigates the impact our weather, COVID-19 and the problem at Ports of Auckland have had on our produce supplies.

Heavy rain, floods and no rain plus the impact on our exports and imports of COVID-19 and the difficulties being experienced at Ports of Auckland causing delays to our fruit imports. This is the Sleuth's segment on Magic Talk's Weekend Life on February 13.

CHECKOUT: Trends in supermarket food

The first category we look at this week is the trend of gluten free and how I became convinced that it was not a case of smoke and mirrors but that eating these products does make a difference.

The British food and drink market shrinks and do we really need Best Before?

This week we focus on the UK and find out that the British food and drink market is shrinking and that you are paying over the odds at our local Tesco and Sainsbury's convenience stores compared to their big supermarkets. We also ask the question as to whether we need Best Before on our food packaging or is it causing much confusion and leading to a lot of food going to waste that could otherwise be eaten?