Coronavirus lockdown: Here's where you can buy food, and where you can't

Wednesday, 25 March 2020

Butchers, bakeries and similar small-scale food retailers are classed as non-essential during the lockdown to stop the spread of coronavirus.

From Wednesday 11.59pm all non-essential businesses will close for four weeks.

New Zealanders will be able to buy food from supermarkets (both instore and online), dairies (but not cooked meals) and through meals on wheels and 'whole food delivery subscriptions' like My Food Bag.

Before closing down completely, Auckland bakery Daily Bread thought it would be an essential provider to the community.

Also included as essential were 'any entity involved in the supply, delivery, distribution and sale of food, beverage and other key consumer goods essential for maintaining the wellbeing of people'.

* Coronavirus: What stores and services are still open during lockdown?

* The Warehouse share price 'likely to fall'**

* Businesses involved in the supply, delivery, distribution and sale of food, beverage and other key consumer goods will stay open;

* Supermarkets will remain open but with restrictions to ensure the safety of customers and staff;

* Supermarket delivery services will continue, but with non-contact delivery measures (online and phone orders, and contactless delivery);

* Takeaway shops and their delivery options must close, as physical distancing and the health of workers can not be guaranteed in every kitchen;

* Dairies can remain open, with a one-in-one-out rule, and cannot sell cooked food;

Restaurant Association chief Marisa Bidois says there is still confusion about the Government's list of essential businesses.

* Liquor stores must close, unless they are within Licensing Trust areas - alcohol can still be bought from supermarkets;

* Butchers, bakeries and similar small-scale food retailers are considered non-essential;

* Subscription food services - My Food Bag will continue to deliver to existing customers, but will not take on new customers;

Uber has suspended its food delivery service platform Uber Eats for the four week lockdown.

* Uber Eats and Menulog suspended their services as the Government had categorised them, as well as takeaways, as non-essential businesses. However, meals on wheels services and delivery of food which was not pre-cooked was exempt.

Cookie Time considered itself an essential service - but was waiting on confirmation to continue delivering cookies and muesli bars to its customers during the lockdown, its managing director Guy Pope-Mayell said.

'We appreciate this is an uncertain time for everybody, and for businesses there are several layers that have needed to be unpacked as the Government continues to release more detailed information and clarifications on essential businesses.'

Retail NZ Chief Executive Greg Harford says there is greater clarity needed on aspects such as online orders.

Retail NZ Chief Executive Greg Harford said there was still confusion about why supermarkets and dairies were considered essential businesses, but specialty stores supplying food such as small grocers, bakers and butchers were not.

'This is truly an indescribable time we're going through and I appreciate everything is moving so quickly, but clarity is still required,' Harford said.

'While I hope this lockdown doesn't happen again, it would be better if communication and clarification was upfront.'

Auckland business Daily Bread told its customers on Tuesday it was considered an essential business and would continue to trade at one of its three bakeries.

However, after a number of customers called for the bakery to close, it said on Wednesday it would not stay open as it was a 'grey area'.

'As the covid situation escalates to a concerning level, and clarification around essential services is further confirmed, we have decided to shut up shop for the month. Operating in a grey area isn't best for anyone,' the bakery said.

Restaurant Association chief executive Marisa Bidois said many businesses were still confused about the evolving guidelines.

'I fully understand these Government's guidelines after they updated their essential services list last night, but there are still many businesses who think they are essential to supporting their neighbourhood or easing the pressure off supermarkets,' Bidois said.

'I understand the health of New Zealanders is 100 per cent our priority right now, but in the future there should be room to review these definitions.'

Other retailers had also been left in the dark by the constantly changing rules.

On Tuesday, The Warehouse Group went into trading halt after publicly announcing its stores would remain open during the lockdown without the Government's confirmation.

But later in the day Government clarified The Warehouse was not an essential service after all.

Jeremy Sullivan, an investment adviser at Hamilton Hindin Greene, said The Warehouse fell into a grey area. 'The directors made a 50/50 call and got it wrong.

'Under continuous disclosure requirements, The Warehouse would have seen it as a material announcement whether they were an essential or non-essential service so they would have felt some pressure, under their listing and compliance rules, that they would have to make an announcement of some sort and they got it wrong,' Sullivan said.

This week Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment chief executive Paul Stock said if a business was in doubt of being an essential service they probably were not.

'Only the businesses absolutely essential to ensure the necessities of life, like supermarkets and pharmacies, can stay open. If in doubt, the business premises should be closed.

'We are ready to change the list if necessary. If we discover there are essential services that have not been made available we will react to that as we go.'