Big Auckland groups join grocery price freeze

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32566, 27 March 1971, Page 2

Big Auckland groups join grocery price freeze

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, March 26. More than 1200 food stores in the Auckland province have committed themselves to a voluntary price freeze and the battle of cut-price specials and discount items has begun.

The Independent Grocers’ Alliance has announced that its 500 shops will observe a three-month freeze from Monday, and 22 shops in the Super Value chain have promised an immediate freeze.

The two groups have joined seven Foodtown stores which began the freeze and 650 New World and Four Square shops which came in a day later. Both I.G.A. and Super Value said they had delayed their decisions on the freeze because they already had full six-week programmes of cut-price specials and discounts planned. “But, after lengthy debate, we decided to go ahead with our original programme and the freeze,” a Super Value

spokesman said. I.G.A. had made the same decision. Although the bulk of its new winter stock has still to arrive, a Queen Street men’s outfitters this morning announced a four-month price freeze on all lines.

Mr K. A. Moore, managingdirector of Horace Bull, Ltd., said that all increases in the

winter range would be absorbed by his firm.

“We have been very concerned with the rise in prices since the beginning of this year and have decided to impose a vountary fourmonth freeze,” he said. “We expect several increases from manufacturers on the new winter range, but they will all be held by us.”

HARDWARE The hardware wholesale firm of C. E. Lawford, Ltd, which handles 10,000 lines, also imposed a price freeze today, but found it had to absorb increases ranging from 10 per cent to I2i per cent or. three ranges of goods only hours after the freeze came into effect. In the morning post were new price lists from three manufacturers, giving the rises which cover about 40 to 50 items in their ranges. These would all be absorbed and no hardware lines from the firm would increase in price for three months, a spokesman said. WHOLE RANGE The Farmers’ Co-operative Auctioneering Company, Ltd, of Hamilton, today announced a general freeze on all but a few grocery lines. The freeze, effective from today, is for an indefinite period and affects farm merchandise, home appliances, drapery, kitchen hardware, china and coffee lounge prices. The firm yesterday froze prices on most grocery lines. Its merchandise manager (Mr K. W. Boon) said the company believed a grocery price freeze did not go far enough. “Price rises in New Zealand have reached alarming

proportions and someone has to take a stand to restore some sanity to the situation,” he said. C.A.R.P. PLEASED “This is great news for the consumer,” the president of the Campaign Against Rising Prices (Mrs F. M. Humphries) said. “It is what we have been pushing for and what the Government failed to do.”

She congratulated grocers involved in the freeze and announced that C.A.R.P. would now move the emphasis of its prices campaign to other high cost-of-l : ving areas “particularly house prices and flat rents.”