The Warehouse takes R18 entertainment off the shelves

File photo / NZ Herald

The Warehouse is taking R18 video games - such as the violence-laden Grand Theft Auto - and DVDs off the shelves following a review of its range.

As a result the Warehouse Group will no longer be stocking R18 games and DVDs within The Warehouse and Noel Leeming stores and online, reinforcing its family-friendly brand values, it said.

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The Warehouse chief executive Mark Powell says that the business' foundations were a result of "putting our people and communities at the core of what we do".

"This decision to exit R18 games and DVDs has not been made lightly, but has been driven by increasing customer, community and team member feedback," he said in a statement.

This feedback has formed part of what has been an ongoing internal review, to ensure that the products we range reflect our brand values of family, children, and community.

"The recently released Grand Theft Auto V, which contains graphic sex scenes and violence towards women from a first person perspective, has acted as a catalyst for our decision to totally exit the R18 games and DVD market," he said.

"We considered simply 'de-ranging' this product, however that would require us to judge the merits of every R18 product on an ongoing basis, which we are not in a position to do, nor do we see as our role," he said.

"With the increasing amount of feedback we get from customers, team members, and the wider community around R18 material, we believe that our exit from R18 games and DVDs will be positively received by parents and families around the country; it's simply the right thing to do for our brand," Powell said.

It will take around 48 hours to execute the "de-ranging" of all R18 censored games and DVDs across The Warehouse and its subsdiary, Noel Leeming, the company said.

In the greater Warehouse group, there are 92 Warehouse stores, 77 Noel Leeming stores and 63 Warehouse Stationery stores.