Progressive Enterprises is to phase out its Foodtown and Woolworths brands during the next five years.

Progressive Enterprises, owner of the Woolworths, Foodtown and Countdown brands, is uniting all its supermarkets under one Countdown banner.

New World and Four Square stores in Auckland have axed their 5c charge on plastic bags.

A Wellington supermarket is forced to axe a compulsory plastic bag charge it introduced only four weeks ago.