Two Pak’nSave supermarkets have been fined a combined $580,500 after pleading guilty to inaccurate pricing in breach of the Fair Trading Act.
In 2025, charges were laid in the Auckland District Court against Pak'nSave Silverdale in Auckland and Pak'nSave Mill Street in Hamilton alleging "inaccurate pricing and misleading specials that may have breached the Fair Trading Act".
Today, the Commerce Commission said the stores had been criminally convicted for repeated pricing errors that misled their customers.
Pak’nSave Silverdale was fined $234,000 on ten charges, and Pak'nSave Mill Street was fined $346,500 on eight charges.
Commerce Commission Deputy Chair Anne Callinan said "we're satisfied with the penalty we secured under the current legislation, but this case highlights the necessity of the Government's current review of the Fair Trading Act".
"Increasing the penalties and changing to a civil regime as proposed will give us the option to push for fines of up to $5 million for each breach, compared to our current maximum of $600,000," she said.
In addition to ongoing investigations, the Commission has current proceedings against Foodstuffs North Island and Gilmours alleging cartel conduct.
Separately, in August, the Commission announced civil proceedings against Foodstuffs South Island for allegedly implementing and enforcing a restriction on independently owned Pak'nSaves discounting selected products.
"We will continue to act within our current remit to hold the major supermarkets to account on behalf of Kiwis," she added.
Foodstuffs has been contacted for comment.
The full judgment is yet to be released.
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