Waikato businesses remain optimistic despite climate of uncertainty, study finds

Wednesday, 10 June 2026

A new survey shows uncertainty is the new default for Kiwi businesses, but the Waikato region is continuing to show forward momentum and above average optimism.

The 2degrees Shaping Business study, now in its seventh year, takes the mood of businesses around the country including key trends, challenges and factors impacting the business landscape.

Its latest edition, released on Tuesday, surveyed a total of 555 business decision makers, with 6% of respondents hailing from Hamilton.

According to the longitudinal study’s key findings, the “post-Covid recovery narrative” was over, labour costs were being overtaken by utilities and insurance and businesses were looking at the ways they could implement artificial intelligence meaningfully.

Businesses across industries were also asking for supply chain support amongst ongoing geopolitical risks.

“In prior years, government support requests centred reliably on tax relief, cost of living and business digitisation,” the report said.

“In 2026, there is a significant new uplift in businesses asking government for support on global supply chain disruptions, linking this explicitly to current war-related trade disruptions.”

The report also highlighted a noticeable shift in business optimism, with 36% of respondents saying they felt more optimistic about their prospects compared to 45% in 2025.

But despite challenging conditions, both Waikato and Auckland were demonstrating strong confidence and investment intentions.

The report found while a larger share of businesses were operating under pressure, the two regions also had above average optimism and “solid” growth expectations.

It contrasts with a noticeable shift in business optimism - 36% of respondents saying they felt more optimistic about their prospects, down from 45% in 2025.

Waikato Chamber of Commerce chief executive Don Good said the study gave businesses good insights into the tough trading conditions they were experiencing.

He told the Waikato Times there had been a “clear shift” in how business was thinking, with resilience becoming crucial now the post-Covid recovery period had ended.

“Companies are going to have to revisit their business models [and] how they operate in order to ensure that they are durable yet adaptable because conditions are changing very quickly.”

It meant businesses needed to improve their productivity to help endure higher costs and tough trading environments, he said.

“AI is certainly going to be part of the answer but innovation, as always, is the key that leads businesses out of the doldrums,” he said, adding it was how companies gained a competitive advantage.

“Putting time into innovating either systems or products or people [is] definitely high on the agenda.”

2Degrees chief business officer Andrew Fairgray will unpack the report’s findings and the impact on the region later this month at a Waikato Chamber of Commerce event.