Cooks Global Foods widened its first-half loss after buying the Canadian franchise rights to Esquires Coffee Houses.

Christmas spending is off to a strong start with, up 4.4 per cent on the same time last year.

As chief toy tester and buyer for Farmers, the 31-year-old has a big role choosing which toys will be hot at Christmas.

Christmas shoppers have bent the plastic, spending a whopping $2.3 billion in the first fortnight of December.

In NZ, our supermarkets won't even sign up to a code of conduct, let alone agree to legislation being debated, writes Dita De Boni. It's time for the Govt to step in.

In a reply to today's column by Dita De Boni on supermarket costs, Countdown managing director Dave Chambers addresses the issue of pricing.

Web retailers are offering shoppers speedy shipping, one-day upgrades and even promises to deliver last-minute orders by Christmas Day.

Kiwis increased their spending on debit and credit cards in November, with a rise in hospitality and consumable purchases.

Retailers are hoping positive economic conditions will offset a blustery and wet start to the spring and summer period.

New Zealand-based Cooks Global Foods is eyeing the Australia and New Zealand market - one of the few places it does not hold the rights to the Esquires coffee shop brand.

In the shopping malls of this proud little consumer nation, the Christmas decorations have been up since October.

The $205 million development proposes to build 231 apartments on the carpark at the Alexandra Park stadium/raceway.

Kiwi retailers are today hoping to cash in on "Black Friday", America's biggest shopping day of the year, by luring consumers with promises of big discounts on goods ahead of Christmas.

Pumpkin Patch has hired Goldman Sachs as an adviser on its capital and funding requirements and says a share issue is an option for the children's clothing retailer, which has warned it could breach....

Pumpkin Patch says this Christmas would be make or break for the children's wear retail chain.

NZ's largest listed retailer, affirmed its expectation for a rise in annual earnings even as sales lag heading into the key Christmas trading period.

Retail sales rose 1.5pc in the September quarter, led by food-related industries - with rises in supermarket stores and food and beverage services.

The rebirth of an old market, once teeming with hippy and bohemian traders and curious customers, has lured three Aucklanders back to Victoria Park where they spent happy times as teenagers.

Call it the happy-ever-after meal. About 28 weeks ago, St Dominic's Catholic Primary School principal Daniel Pepper put a McDonald's cheeseburger on display, and he says it hasn't changed since.

When Jean Jones went into receivership in 2010, general manager at the time Gina Condon decided to take a punt on the brand and buy it.

Forty-nine per cent of five Westfield malls worth $2.1b will be sold to the Singaporean Government Investment Corporation.

The Warehouse lifted first-quarter sales 3.5pc, opening more Noel Leeming stores, and widened margins at its dominant 'Red Shed' unit.

Pak'n Save has won the latest battle in NZ's supermarket wars. So how much could you save on an average basket of groceries bought there?

Higher wages and a specialised degree are among the initiatives helping change the perception of retail from a boring job to a high-flying career, says Warehouse boss.

Greg Harford is general manager of public affairs for Retail NZ, the New Zealand retailers’ association.

Pumpkin Patch auditor PwC says the former high-flying retailer may have difficulty continuing as a going concern if it is unable to comply with banking covenant agreements with its bank, the ANZ.

John (Mac) Macpherson is the owner of Havelock North-based online wine retailer Advintage, which employs eight staff.