Some retailers are leveraging fulfilment from their Australian distribution centres. Photo / Getty Images
Some retailers are leveraging fulfilment from their Australian distribution centres. Photo / Getty Images
A handful of retailers continue to operate during the lockdown, using their Australian facilities to work around the mandatory closures.
Mecca, Ezibuy, and for a brief period Kathmandu, were flouting Government's orders for all non-essential businesses to shut down their stores - this includes online stores, as part of itsmove to minimise the spread of Covid-19.
In an email update to its subscribers last week, Kathmandu said its website "remained operational; however, our New Zealand distribution centre is also temporarily closed. Instead, we will be shipping from our Australian distribution centre."
This, however, no longer seems to be the case - a message on the apparel and outdoor equipment retailer now outlines: "Our website remains operational for browsing but cannot accept orders during this time."
While Kathmandu has since opted for the high road, Mecca and Ezibuy, among others, continue to work around the rules.
According to Ezibuy's website, delivery of online orders is still available during the lockdown.
The discretionary retailer's website states: "We are continuing to deliver to our New Zealand customers via our Australian Distribution Centre. Our courier partners will continue to deliver international parcels to your home."
Mecca has similar wording on its website, stating that it too is fulfilling its online orders for New Zealanders, through its Australian distribution centre.
"Due to Covid-19 closures in NZ, orders will temporarily be delivered via Australia," its website states.
Mecca and Ezibuy have been contacted for comment. They had not responded at the time of publication.
Cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand have swelled to more than 500 as of yesterday, compared to 3400 in Australia.
It is not known if the virus can be spread on the surface of parcels and goods.
There are concerns the workaround to continue to operated defeats the purpose of the lockdown.
Ezibuy says online orders will be fulfilled and sent out from its Australian distribution centre. Photo / Screen shot
Retail NZ chief executive Greg Harford said non-essential businesses, including beauty and clothing retailers, were banned from delivering goods to customers during the lockdown.
He said transport and courier services are supposed to be operating only for urgent essential services.
"If Kiwi businesses can't serve customers because couriers are needed for essential services only, it seems strange that international fulfilment services can access the courier networks," Harford told the Herald.
"Australian businesses are seeking to exploit the current position by marketing actively into the New Zealand environment."
The Government needed to issue clarification on the situation, Harford said.
"The point of allowing courier services to operate is that they're there for essential goods."
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Chris Wilkinson, managing director of First Retail Group, said he believed the workaround by retailers fulfilling from their Australian distribution centres was an effort to maintain goodwill.
"I think it was an effort by them to maintain goodwill and keep people engaged with their brand given at the time, Australia had been looking at their own lockdown very differently.
"In the past three to four days things have moved quite quickly with some like Kathmandu shutting stores there, although we do know some of the fulfilment centres are continuing to operate - in the meantime. There is every expectation that these too will need to cease operating as pressure builds on the Government there to act," Wilkinson said.
"Consumers are not seeing this favourably and there has been a lot of commentary on social channels and direct to businesses continuing to operate around their responsibilities."
Beauty retailer Mecca continues to send orders to New Zealanders. Photo / Screen shot
Wilkinson said commercial gain during this time of uncertainty was under significant scrutiny by the public. "As it's being fulfilled from offshore I don't think the Government will act - they have bigger issues to deal with at this time. Consumer sentiment and Australian Government directives are likely to self-regulate this."
The Herald has contacted the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment for comment.
