Progressive Enterprises
Encyclopedia
Progressive Enterprises Limited is an Australian owned company operating in New Zealand
, and a subsidiary of the Australian retail group Woolworths Limited
.
Progressive Enterprises is New Zealand's second largest grocery company in New Zealand (behind Foodstuffs
), with a revenue of NZ$4,957 million for the year to June 2009. With a 57% market share, Foodstuffs is New Zealand's largest grocer, it forms part of the New Zealand supermarket duopoly
.
Progressive recently bought a 10% share of The Warehouse Group
, New Zealand's largest retailer.
On 25 May 2005, it was announced that Woolworths Limited
, one of Australia
's largest retailers, would be purchasing Progressive along with 22 Action stores in Australia. The deal was worth approximately NZ$2.5 billion and culminated in the official transfer of assets on 24 November 2005.
In 2006, company workers at three distribution centres initiated industrial action
in an attempt to win a collective employment agreement and pay rise.
The company responded by suspending grocery distribution centre operations and allowing suppliers to send stock directly to supermarkets.
Also in 2006, the company was awarded the Roger Award
For The Worst Transnational Corporation Operating in New Zealand.
On 15 August 2007, it was announced that all Progressive Enterprises employees on youth rates or under the age of 18 will now all get paid adult rates with in some cases can be up to an 80% pay increase. The average pay is around $13.50 from $9.00.
chains:
It operates internet grocery stores in the name of Countdown , Woolworths and Foodtown Online .
The Woolworth's and Foodtown brands are currently being phased out of the New Zealand market. Existing stores are being re-branded as Countdown stores.. In August 2011, Progressive won a prestigious NZ Marketing award.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, and a subsidiary of the Australian retail group Woolworths Limited
Woolworths Limited
Woolworths Limited is a major Australian company with extensive retail interest throughout Australia and New Zealand. It is the:* largest retail company in Australia and New Zealand by market capitalisation and sales...
.
Progressive Enterprises is New Zealand's second largest grocery company in New Zealand (behind Foodstuffs
Foodstuffs
Foodstuffs is a group of three New Zealand grocery and liquor retailers' cooperatives based in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch which collectively control an estimated 57% of the New Zealand grocery market...
), with a revenue of NZ$4,957 million for the year to June 2009. With a 57% market share, Foodstuffs is New Zealand's largest grocer, it forms part of the New Zealand supermarket duopoly
Duopoly
A true duopoly is a specific type of oligopoly where only two producers exist in one market. In reality, this definition is generally used where only two firms have dominant control over a market...
.
Progressive recently bought a 10% share of The Warehouse Group
The Warehouse Group
The Warehouse Group Limited, founded by Stephen Tindall in 1982, is the largest department store retailer operating in New Zealand. The Warehouse is largely a discount store similar to Wal-Mart in the United States, however The Warehouse sells far more generic brand merchandise than other discount...
, New Zealand's largest retailer.
History
- 1948: Progressive Enterprises was established in 1949 by the Picot Family
- 1961: Progressive Enterprises became the parent company to Foodtown Supermarkets Limited.
- 1992: Coles Myer relaunched Progressive Enterprises onto the New Zealand stock exchange as a public company.
On 25 May 2005, it was announced that Woolworths Limited
Woolworths Limited
Woolworths Limited is a major Australian company with extensive retail interest throughout Australia and New Zealand. It is the:* largest retail company in Australia and New Zealand by market capitalisation and sales...
, one of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
's largest retailers, would be purchasing Progressive along with 22 Action stores in Australia. The deal was worth approximately NZ$2.5 billion and culminated in the official transfer of assets on 24 November 2005.
In 2006, company workers at three distribution centres initiated industrial action
2006 Progressive Enterprises dispute
The 2006 Progressive Enterprises Dispute was an industrial dispute between New Zealand supermarket company Progressive Enterprises and employees represented by the National Distribution Union and the EPMU...
in an attempt to win a collective employment agreement and pay rise.
The company responded by suspending grocery distribution centre operations and allowing suppliers to send stock directly to supermarkets.
Also in 2006, the company was awarded the Roger Award
Roger Award
The Roger Award For The Worst Transnational Corporation Operating in New Zealand is an annual media campaign run since 1997 by two activist organisations, Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aotearoa and GATT Watchdog...
For The Worst Transnational Corporation Operating in New Zealand.
On 15 August 2007, it was announced that all Progressive Enterprises employees on youth rates or under the age of 18 will now all get paid adult rates with in some cases can be up to an 80% pay increase. The average pay is around $13.50 from $9.00.
Store brands
Progressive runs the following grocery storeGrocery store
A grocery store is a store that retails food. A grocer, the owner of a grocery store, stocks different kinds of foods from assorted places and cultures, and sells these "groceries" to customers. Large grocery stores that stock products other than food, such as clothing or household items, are...
chains:
- WoolworthsWoolworths Supermarkets (New Zealand)Woolworths is a New Zealand supermarket chain and a unit of Woolworths Limited.- 1929 - 1979 Woolworths :Founded in 1929 by Percy Christmas, the chain was separated from the parent company Woolworths Limited in Australia and was called Woolworths New Zealand...
: 21 supermarket stores nationwide - CountdownCountdown (supermarket)Countdown is a New Zealand full-service supermarket chain, owned by Woolworths Limited. Founded in 1981, Countdown is now the flagship brand of Progressive Enterprises, Woolworths' New Zealand supermarket subsidiary, with 133 supermarkets across New Zealand...
: 77 discounter supermarket stores, including a number of rebranded "Big Fresh" stores following the Progressive takeover of Woolworths Supermarkets NZ - FoodtownFoodtown| area_served =| key_people =| industry = Retail| products =| services =| market cap =| revenue =| operating_income =| net_income =| assets =| equity =| owner =...
: 25 supermarket stores across the upper North Island. - SuperValueSuperValueSuperValue is a supermarket chain store in New Zealand founded in the 1960s. Along with supermarket chain FreshChoice, it is franchised by Wholesale Distributors Limited, a division of Progressive Enterprises Ltd which is owned by Woolworths Limited....
: 31 South Island convenience supermarket stores, many stores in North Island as well, run as a franchise - Freshchoice: 11 South Island stores 2 in North Island- Higher quality supermarket with a large range, run as a franchise
- Woolworths @ Gull 22 Woolworths Quickstop and Micro Stores
It operates internet grocery stores in the name of Countdown , Woolworths and Foodtown Online .
The Woolworth's and Foodtown brands are currently being phased out of the New Zealand market. Existing stores are being re-branded as Countdown stores.. In August 2011, Progressive won a prestigious NZ Marketing award.
Former store brands
- 3 Guys
- Big FreshBig FreshBig Fresh was opened in 1988 with its first store in Mount Wellington Auckland. Big Fresh offered a wide range of fresh foods, discount groceries in large market-style store. The concept for Big Fresh was based on a Farmers Market with their focus being on their extensive range of fresh foods...
- Price ChopperPrice Chopper (New Zealand)Price Chopper was part of the Woolworths New Zealand Supermarket Group, their brands included: Woolworths, Big Fresh and Price Chopper.- History :The Price Chopper format evolved as a discounter with a limited fresh foods offer in 1987...
- Georgie PieGeorgie PieGeorgie Pie was a fast food chain owned by supermarket operator Progressive Enterprises that hoped to be "New Zealand’s own homegrown alternative to the global fast-food industry giants such as McDonald’s, Pizza Hut and Burger King."-History:...
Product brands
- Woolworths Select
- Home Brand
- Signature Range
- Naytura
- Freefrom
- FreshZone
See also
- 2006 Progressive Enterprises dispute2006 Progressive Enterprises disputeThe 2006 Progressive Enterprises Dispute was an industrial dispute between New Zealand supermarket company Progressive Enterprises and employees represented by the National Distribution Union and the EPMU...
(pay dispute resulting in industrial action at several distribution centres)