Two Foodstuffs South Island stores in Wanaka have been fined in the Christchurch District Court for breaching shop trading hours.
Greta Enterprises Limited, trading as Wanaka New World, and Aspiring Foodmarket Limited, trading as New World Three Parks, both operated their stores on Good Friday last year and in 2021.
“As a leader and major employer in the retail sector, it is extremely disappointing to see a prominent group like Foodstuffs South Island having two owner/operators blatantly choosing to ignore their legal responsibilities and focus on profit-making,” said Loua Ward, regional manager and labour inspectorate of Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE)
Shops must be closed on Christmas Day, Good Friday and Easter Sunday by law and until 1:00 pm on Anzac Day unless exempted.
Ward added both shops willfully chose to remain open last year, despite being sent warning letters from the ministry after a previous breach.
The stores were each fined $750 for their violations. The maximum penalty is $1000.
Emma Wooster, the head of public relations at Foodstuffs, said: “Many South Island communities rely on tourism to thrive and after a few years of Covid-related challenges, both owner-operated stores in Wanaka wanted to play their part in serving the community and visitors over the Easter holidays.
“The motivation to open the two stores was not profit-driven, but a desire to contribute to the community by enabling visitors to buy essential groceries and experience the town.”
