Don't be sucked in by tempting rewards schemes when you're shopping for a credit card, says Consumer New Zealand.

A controversial loyalty card that offers to pay a chunk of a student's bar tab off their student loan has been launched.

The Commerce Commission's inquiry into an online toy and baby products retailer - accused of taking customers' money and failing to deliver - continues.

An international study suggests energy drinks can trigger heart attacks in young, healthy consumers, and scientists are warning parents.

A new website allows consumers to predict the cost of a taxi fare, accurate to within about $4.

Generation Y ruin more clothing than their parents and are more likely to use a dirty washing machine, a survey published today shows.

Kiwi-owned banks are well ahead of their Aussie counterparts, according to a new customer satisfaction survey - and their bosses say they're not surprised.

Prices of nappies have fallen so sharply that one retailer estimates combined discounts from its stores alone will top $1m over the next year.

Consumer-driven food trends are nothing new. "Organics", gluten-free and others have all captured consumers, encouraging supermarkets around the globe to respond.

Coffee pods use already-ground coffee, meaning that it is not as fresh, writes Sam Judd. They are also an environmental disaster.

An Auckland-based online toy seller is being investigated by the Commerce Commission after failing to deliver orders to customers on both sides of the Tasman.

Editorial: Any government is well aware there will be no applause from the many people forced to pay another 15 per cent for their online purchases.

The price of oil is tumbling again, rattling an already-shaken oil industry and heralding lower prices for consumers.

Tinted windows are becoming a fashion accessory for Kiwi motorists - but installing them can put owners at risk of a failed insurance claim.

An Auckland mother whose baby drank expired infant formula has lashed out at the Warehouse for stocking the out-of-date product.

Retailers are continuing to benefit from the boost to consumers' discretionary incomes from the fall in oil prices over the past year.

Six complaints have been made to the Commerce Commission since its preliminary decision to allow infant formula companies to restrict their advertising.

Wellington company Flick describes itself as "the first retailer to give NZers access to the wholesale price of power direct from the market the big guys buy electricity from".

Retail spending charged to electronic cards fell 0.4 per cent last month, its third monthly decline in a row, as lower prices at the pump offset increased spending elsewhere.

A big spike in the cost of raw materials has put pressure on chocolate makers - as Cadbury was quick to point out when it announced plans this week to reduce block sizes by 10 per cent.

Chocolate company Whittaker's say they won't be following Cadbury and reducing the size of their bars.

Cadbury is cutting the size of its chocolate blocks, citing manufacturing costs and a preference not to increase the price.

As the battle for the discretionary dollar heats up, loyalty schemes are rapidly evolving, providing retailers with screeds of data about customers.

Aucklanders desperate for a reprieve from the summer heat have shopped The Warehouse in Downtown Auckland out of fans.

He spent 18 months without power after his electricity supplier refused to reconnect him after a storm. Now he's won an out-of-court settlement - and an apology.

"Irradiated food is anything but fresh," writes Sue Kedgley. So why is the govt bending over backwards to bring more of it in, and remove labels that identify it?

A leading consumer advocate is calling for better food labelling after a supermarket sting on products claiming to be good for your waistline.

New Zealand consumer confidence rose for a second month in January as households grew more upbeat about the prospects for the future.

Oil prices have fallen dramatically. But it could take months for falling fuel prices - which feed into economic activity - to benefit consumers.

I'm all for meal kits which incorporate fresh ingredients such as avocado, lettuce, capsicum and tomato.