Insight / Consumer Markets Fair trading reform on the horizon: is your business ready? The Fair Trading Amendment Bill (Bill) proposes significant changes to New Zealand’s consumer protection regime. Introduced on 13 May 2026, the Bill will amend the Fair Trading Act 1986 (Act) to increase penalties for breaches, introduce a new ‘safe harbour’ defence to support proactive scam disruption, and streamline the process for updating product safety demands. Read more
Insight / Consumer Markets Mondelez v Aldi: What can New Zealand learn from this overseas lawsuit? A recent United States lawsuit between snack giant Mondelez and discount retailer Aldi has sparked global interest, not just for its legal drama, but for the broader implications it holds for branding, packaging and fair competition. While the case is unfolding in the United States, its lessons are highly relevant to New Zealand’s retail and intellectual property landscape. Read more
Insight / Consumer Markets Is your business at risk from a competitor’s “dupe” products? The rise of “dupe” products is becoming increasingly prevalent across various markets, including in New Zealand. Read more
Insight / Consumer Markets Data Protection and Cybersecurity in New Zealand: Why The Time is (Always) Now In an increasingly digital world, data protection and cybersecurity have become critically important for businesses. As companies collect, store and process more and more data, the risks relating to privacy and cybersecurity continue to evolve. Ensuring compliance the Privacy Act 2020 (Privacy Act), while mitigating cybersecurity risks, is a fundamental aspect of keeping customer data safe, and protecting a business’s commercial interests. Read more
Insight / Consumer Markets Unconscionable conduct in the spotlight Recent news from across the Tasman provides a timely reminder to New Zealand businesses that engaging in unconscionable conduct will not be tolerated by regulators. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has commenced proceedings against Australia’s second largest telco provider, Optus Mobile Pty Ltd (Optus), for allegedly engaging in unconscionable conduct by selling telecommunications goods to vulnerable consumers who did not want or need them. Read more
Insight / Consumer Markets What is statutory management? An explanation of the latest salvo in the Du Val saga On 2 August 2024 interim receivers were appointed to a number of entities in the Du Val group. On 21 August 2024, this was followed by the appointment of statutory managers to various entities in the Du Val group. This is an extraordinary development, and leads to the question – what is statutory management? Read more
