Best of Business

Another major retailer is making vaccination mandatory for staff.  Countdown has announced it will require all staff to be jabbed by January 10, following The Warehouse Group's decision to require its staff to be jabbed by January 16.  Rival chain Foodstuffs is also discussing a vaccine mandate with its store owners, which could take effect on February 16.  First Union retail organiser Ben Peterso...

Australia is reopening its border to vaccinated international arrivals on work and student visas, as well as working holiday makers, from December.   They'll join citizens, residents and their families who can come and go as they please, without having to go into isolation when they return.  So what's this going to do for Australia's economic rebound?  Paul Bloxham is HSBC’s chief economist and he...

The lockdown was always going to leave a gaping hole for retailers, but how big was the question.   Now the verdict is in.  Retail spending volumes fell 8.1 percent in the September quarter, with food and beverage spending falling 19 percent.  Brad Olsen is Infometrics' principal economist and he joined Heather du Plessis-Allan.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fresh calls from the opposition today to at least open the borders to Australia to allow Kiwi families to reunite for Christmas.   Chris Hipkins admitted in Question Time that of more than 2000 returning travellers from Australia since the bubble burst, just three had Covid, and none of them were vaccinated.   Last night, Air New Zealand announced they would cancel one thousand flights for Decembe...

Just as the Auckland borders will reopen, KiwiRail workers will strike.  The union has announced it'll paralyse the network, including trains and ferries on Thursday 16 December and Friday 17 December.  Wayne Butson, General Secretary and the Rail and Maritime Transport Union joined Heather du Plessis-Allan.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government will release guidelines around vaccine mandates by mid-December that will help all businesses to figure out whether or not they can force staff to get jabbed.  They've come up with four criteria, and if businesses meet at least three, they're cleared for a mandate:  - Workers are in an area with less than 100m square indoor space  - Workers work less than 1m apart from other people ...

The whole country will move to the traffic lights system from next Friday, December 3.  Bars, restaurants, gyms will only be open to vaccinated patrons.  For Aucklanders, hairdressers and barbers will be allowed to open from this Thursday.  Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Grant Robertson told Heather du Plessis-Alan they want to trial the Vaccine Certificate regime with the hairdressing...

It could take years to know the full impact of the decision to stop refining oil at Whangārei's Marsden Point.  The oil refinery will convert into a fuel-import-only terminal from April.  Refining NZ shareholders voted overwhelmingly for the change, due to the glut of global fuel supplies, high pipeline fees, and plummeting fuel demand.  But JMI Wealth Director Andrew Kelleher told Mike Hosking it...

Auckland hairdressers are roaring and ready to reopen.  Salons can re-open on Thursday and will be the first industry to trial the new Covid Vaccine Pass.  Julie Evans, Chief Executive of salon chain Rodney Wayne, says the company is still waiting for the Ministry of Health to release the Vaccine Pass Verifier app it will need to use.  That app is coming today.  Evans told Mike Hosking her staff h...

Monday will bring final decisions about what Covid restrictions apply where, over the Christmas and summer period.  The traffic light system will come into force nationwide from next Friday - December 3.  No part of the country will move to the Green Level, and Auckland will definitely move to the Red Level.  Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson told Mike Hosking the level in other regions will s...

Concerned residents are comparing the current state of the Auckland CBD to a crime ridden New York City in the 1980's.  With an open letter to Chloe Swarbrick and Mayor Phil Goff, calling for officials to fix the city before it becomes a right off.  The Herald reported back in August that over 1000 people had been assaulted in the CBD this year alone.  Viv Beck from The Heart of the City told Heat...

Refining New Zealand has confirmed it will close its Marsden Point refinery in the first quarter of next year. Instead, Marsden point will be used as an import only terminal.  Z energy was one of the stakeholders who voted to stop refining. Because margins had been volatile over recent years.  230 jobs will be lost when the refinery closes.  John Carnegie from energy resources Aotearoa told Heathe...

An Auckland business leader is cautiously optimistic after meeting with Grant Robertson.  The Deputy Prime Minister met with businesses in the Covid-region yesterday, to hear their frustrations about the restrictions.   He insists there's a clear pathway forward and plan.   Aotea Gifts Director Richard Hanson was at that meeting and told Mike Hosking while a lot remains up in the air, businesses a...

According to a Linked In survey, rage-quitting is becoming a thing.  A poll of 100 workers found a third of them recently either quit in a rage or are preparing to do so.  Our Business Doctor Jung Chun told Heather du Plessis-Allan the research does not surprise him.  “There’s more opportunity for those unhappy employees.”  He said business owners need to look out for the signs that people may not...

The unemployment rate has dropped to 3.4% - matching a record low in December 2007.  Wages have gone up 2.5% which is still well-off inflation at 4.9%  Emma Scott from Tribe Recruitment told Heather du Plessis-Allan there's a "war for talent" as the labour market runs hot.  She says the market has flipped from being a business-driven market to a candidate-driven market.  “Employees can demand thin...