The only way to protect milk from light damage is to block out all light. The trade off, however, is the inability to see how much is left, writes Peter McClure.

Public perceptions of how competitive the retail electricity sector is have improved, though to less-than-emphatic levels.

Some of NZ's largest discount retailers are not signing up to a legally binding initiative offering financial aid for building and fire safety after the Bangladesh disaster.

Lovers of yoghurt, chocolate and steak would have seen their grocery bills increase last month.

Retail spending rebounded last month from an Easter-related dip in March.

Z Energy's second full year of operation since its sale to local investors by Shell has produced a 13.1 per cent lift in operating earnings, although sales have fallen.

The Health Ministry said it was working on the idea of forcing tobacco retailers to be listed on a state register of tobacco outlets.

Stefan Preston, entrepreneur and investor, Ingenio, which has majority shareholdings in companies including www.bachcare and lingerie brand, Rose & Thorne Design. He has had five rounds of doing e-commerce.

Lance Wiggs, director, online electricity retailer, Powerkiwi which sells products on fellow online energy store, Powershop. Powerkiwi came second in last year's Deloitte Fast 50.

Greig Buckley, founder of kai.co.nz, an online business promoting and selling specialist foods from talented artisans around New Zealand.

Daniel King , founder online health product retailer, abouthealth.co.nz.

Online retailing offers a number of opportunities for small businesses.

The number of New Zealanders buying cups of coffee has levelled out in the past five years.

Vaughan Rowsell, founder of Vend, a cloud-based retail platform for brick and mortar retailers.