Warehouse Group has announced plans to lift staff wages and create a better-trained workforce, with rewards for long-term service.

The introduction of Sony electronics products to The Warehouse is a smart move for the retailer and will help to provide consumers with a reason to shop at its stores, an analyst says.

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.

Online retailing offers a number of opportunities for small businesses.

What are the main trends in online retailing in New Zealand and Australia?

The number of people making online purchases had increased by 11 per cent since 2009.

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.

More than 100 people entered a Tauranga store to buy the controversial synthetic cannabis Kryptonite yesterday morning.

The number of New Zealanders shopping online has tripled in less than a decade, with entertainment and leisure products the favourite internet purchases.

Main roads out of major centres were clogged with traffic today as holidaymakers hit the roads for the Easter weekend, but so far drivers were being patient police say.

The country's top traffic cop is urging drivers to make history with another fatality-free Easter weekend.

Police are challenging drivers to achieve another zero-death road toll this Easter as New Zealanders take advantage of their last holiday weekend before winter.