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Retailers Optimistic for Strong Q4 Sales
Retailers Optimistic for Strong Q4 Sales

22 October 2024, 5:14 PM

Coasties, like many retailers across New Zealand, are heading into the final quarter with renewed hope, despite tough trading conditions earlier this year. According to Retail NZ’s latest Retail Radar survey, 65% of local businesses now feel confident about their future, up from 58% last quarter.With Labour Weekend, Black Friday, and Christmas sales on the horizon, 57% of retailers expect to meet or exceed their sales targets for the critical October–December period. This optimism marks a notable shift from Q3, where only 32% felt they would hit their goals.Retail NZ Chief Executive Carolyn Young pointed out the importance of these final months: “The fourth quarter is crucial for retailers. Strong sales over this period help many businesses build a financial cushion for the quieter months ahead.”Despite the positive outlook, challenges remain. Around 43% of businesses still worry they won’t reach their sales goals, and inflation continues to be a concern, affecting 75% of survey respondents. However, the survey shows that concerns about inflation have eased slightly, down from 80% in the previous quarter.Other challenges, such as rising freight costs and insurance premiums, persist, but the overall mood appears to be one of cautious optimism. While Q3 saw 70% of retailers failing to meet targets, the signs of economic improvement—such as drops in the OCR and inflation—are fostering hope for a brighter Q4.

Robox a 'hunting ground' for sex offenders to groom child gamers - online safety
Robox a 'hunting ground' for sex offenders to groom child gamers - online safety

22 October 2024, 1:14 AM

Popular virtual game Roblox is a hunting ground for sex offenders looking to exploit young New Zealand-based victims, according to an online safety group.Roblox users can create an avatar or online character and choose their hair, clothes and accessories, before joining in a number of games or experiences.The platform also had a social media element to it where people could message, accept friend requests, or go into a chat room.Police would not name specific gaming sites, but Detective Senior Sergeant Kepal Richards from the online child exploitation unit said there had been cases of sex offenders grooming young New Zealand gamers online, encouraging x-rated conversations and the sharing of inappropriate images."The offenders, for example, will use these gaming platforms or social media applications to strike up conversations in relationships with young people before requesting to move their conversation to another application or messaging service," he said."Once here, they'll engage in indecent communications; they'll share or encourage the sharing of [sexually] explicit imagery [and] other criminal offences, such as blackmail in the form of sextortion."New Zealand children did often fall victim to this kind of offending, he said."We get referrals out of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which is based in America, and they routinely see instances where children have been targeted on such sites as gaming applications or also social media websites."Predators could groom children to go into a private chat room, he said."Some of the gaming applications, for example, don't allow the sharing of imagery, so these offenders will encourage them to go to applications or messaging services that do allow that to happen, such as video calling or the sharing of photos."It's there that they'll start to encourage the sending of sexually explicit material, or just taking the conversation to an indecent nature."Our Kids Online co-founder Rob Cope told Checkpoint Roblox was one of the biggest sexual predator grooming grounds in the world.After giving hundreds of talks across the country, parents, school teachers and principals had approached him with stories."A lot of them, if they're not to do with social media, which is like a massive problem, then it's Roblox."One principal, in particular, said there were three Year 8 girls who all sent nudes to the same predator on Roblox over a very short period of time."The girls were aged between 12 and 13 years old."I think the avatar's name was something like Handsome Stranger or something - it was pretty obvious to an adult that's probably not a great person to be talking to online," he said."The thing with Roblox is they fully deny that any of this actually happens, which is weird because any online platform where you can talk to strangers there's going to be predators on there, hunting."Roblox is a popular game among children. Photo: RICCARDO MILANI / AFPWhen he was making a documentary a few years ago, Cope said many people told him about "sex rooms" that could be found on Roblox."I just went on to YouTube and typed in Roblox sex and there are a whole lot of different videos where people who had been in these and they just video captured what was going on."It was an aggressive form of grooming, he said."I mean, predators would describe it like it's shooting fish in a barrel because most of us parents would just let our kids on Roblox and think it's a harmless game."The whole concept of Roblox is it's a fun game. It's a social game. You're walking around talking to strangers all the time, but a predator is going to hunt where their prey hang out, right?"To combat this, parents could lock certain controls down, so children communicated only with their friends, he said - however children's friends may also be strangers."A lot of kids will just make friends with complete strangers online, because someone will friend-request them. They go, 'Cool, we've got another friend.'"The parents might be locking down, 'OK, you can only talk to your friends.' But your kid has 500 friends on Roblox."I remember my son, when he was about nine, he's playing Roblox, and one day he goes, 'Dad, I've got 100 friends on Roblox.'"I'm like, 'Wow, that's a lot - and how many of these people do you actually know?' He [said], 'Three.'"I'm like, 'Right. So you're friends with 97 strangers?' "In Roblox, users could speak to other avatars in the virtual world."There's ... speech bubbles above everyone and as you walk past, you can just stand right next to someone and type in something in the computer and it will come up as a speech bubble above your character," he said."You can even actually talk to people on the game as well, like voice to voice. All you have to do is have a phone and say that you're 13 years old and they'll send a code to your phone, and now you're verified as a 13-year-old and you can voice talk to people, so you can literally be physically talking to strangers online as well, not just messaging."There were supposedly different age levels in the game, but anyone could access them, he said."There's nine-plus, 13-plus, 17 plus, but I think anyone can get into it. I'm not that familiar with it. I just hear the horror stories from parents and principals."Parents were unable to tell how old an avatar was and where they were, he said."I always tell parents, the main thing you need to do is no devices in bedrooms or bathrooms at all. If your kids [are] playing any kind of game, that should be out on the kitchen table where you can see what's going on, it's being monitored. You're looking over their shoulder every once in a while; you have the rules."A predator will sneak in with a kid and become their friend, and then you'll become that friend. Because you'll say, oh, no, I know this person. It's a friend of a friend, but you don't actually know that person."I kind of say to parents gaming's cool, it's fun. But it's like ice cream. It should be something you do every once in a while and you have a little bit. It's not something that you're doing for hours and hours a day."

Kiwi Slip 'n Slide Coming to Silverdale
Kiwi Slip 'n Slide Coming to Silverdale

21 October 2024, 6:16 PM

Locals and visitors to the Hibiscus Coast can look forward to a new attraction this summer as Kiwi Slip ‘n Slide prepares to launch New Zealand’s largest outdoor water slide in Silverdale.In partnership with Snowplanet, the slip ‘n slide promises fun in the sun alongside the country's only indoor snow resort.The massive four-lane, 110-metre-long slip ‘n slide will be located at 91 Small Road, right next to Snowplanet.The collaboration allows Kiwi Slip ‘n Slide customers to enjoy Snowplanet's on-site facilities, including a restaurant and bar, making it a convenient spot for both summer and winter activities.Mana Water Sports Owner and Director Emily Rutherford shared her excitement about the new venture.“Snowplanet has been a key destination for snow sports since 2005, and we’re thrilled to bring our giant slip ‘n slide to this iconic location,” she said.Rutherford also highlighted additional attractions, including New Zealand’s largest sealed-air inflatable water castle for younger visitors and a variety of food trucks, aiming to create a festive summer atmosphere.Kiwi Slip ‘n Slide is set to open on November 16, initially operating on weekends and for private bookings on weekdays.Full-time operations will begin on December 10 to coincide with the summer holiday season and will run into 2025.Snowplanet General Manager Rojie Aguilar expressed excitement about the collaboration, saying, "We are thrilled to offer this fun and exciting activity, which promises enjoyable experiences for everyone."

Auckland Job Ads See Slight Decline
Auckland Job Ads See Slight Decline

20 October 2024, 7:24 PM

Locals across the Hibiscus Coast may want to take note of the latest SEEK NZ Employment Report for September, which reveals a modest 1% drop in job ads for Auckland, reflecting a broader national trend of slight declines.Despite this dip, the report offers a mixed picture, with some regions experiencing growth while others, like Auckland, saw only marginal changes.Nationally, job ads fell slightly, and for the first time in a year, applications per job ad also dropped by 2%.Auckland’s decline mirrors a nationwide cooling, where larger regions, including Wellington and Bay of Plenty, also recorded similar 1% decreases in job ads.On the industry front, Auckland saw varied performance.The Construction sector faced one of the more significant declines, dropping by 8% nationwide, which may have contributed to the city’s overall dip.In contrast, Professional Services grew, with Insurance & Superannuation showing a notable 27% rise, and Legal up by 11%, indicating that opportunities remain strong in these fields.Canterbury stood out as the only major region to record a rise in job ads, climbing by 6%.Smaller regions, such as Gisborne, experienced a 14% jump, while the West Coast saw a 12% drop, underscoring the fluctuations typical of less populous areas.The SEEK Employment Report provides valuable insights helping locals understand how the job market is evolving and what sectors may offer better opportunities moving forward.

Call for Clearer Fast Food Salt Labelling
Call for Clearer Fast Food Salt Labelling

19 October 2024, 8:00 PM

In our vibrant Hibiscus Coast community, locals are urged to pay closer attention to their salt intake, particularly when it comes to fast food.A recent study conducted by the University of Auckland, reveals that Kiwis are consuming an alarming average of 3,000mg of sodium each day—well above the World Health Organisation's recommended maximum of 2,000mg.Currently, many takeaway outlets do not disclose essential sodium content information.While New Zealand’s Food Standards Code mandates nutritional details for packaged foods, fast food chains are not required to comply.Associate Professor Helen Eyles from the School of Population Health emphasises the health implications, stating, "A single serve of a burger or takeout sandwich with fries can easily provide more than the recommended daily upper limit for sodium."In 2020, Kiwis spent approximately 29 percent of their weekly food budget on restaurant meals and takeaways.Alarmingly, among 28 major fast-food chains analysed, ten did not provide any sodium information, and only a third of 5,246 products assessed offered sodium data.Excessive sodium intake is a major contributor to heart disease, leading to high blood pressure, which can result in life-threatening conditions such as stroke and heart attacks—significant causes of preventable deaths in New Zealand.In a bid to address this issue, New Zealand has committed to reducing mean population sodium intake by 30 percent by 2025, as part of the WHO Global Action Plan for reducing non-communicable diseases.However, experts caution that without a comprehensive national sodium-reduction strategy, this goal may remain out of reach.Eyles and her colleague Shona Gomes highlight the importance of a multifaceted approach, combining public awareness campaigns with improved food labelling and monitoring of food environments.They advocate for establishing benchmarks for both fast and packaged foods, akin to successful strategies seen in other countries.“First of all, in New Zealand, we need to make it visible how much salt is in our fast foods,” Eyles urges.“We really need a national sodium reduction strategy implemented by the government, which includes collaborating with fast food manufacturers to lower salt levels in their offerings.”As we enjoy the conveniences of fast food, it’s crucial to stay informed about the nutritional content of our meals.

Don't forget GST when comparing NZ prices to overseas
Don't forget GST when comparing NZ prices to overseas

18 October 2024, 7:02 PM

Grocery co-op Foodstuffs is defending grocery price differences between here and OECD countries, pointing out New Zealand's 15 percent goods and services tax (GST).While Stats NZ's food price index rose an annual 1.2 percent last month, Foodstuff said its co-ops - New World, Pak'nSave and Four Square stores - recorded no increase for their comparable basket of goods."As two external reports highlighted recently, global factors play a big role in New Zealand food prices," Foodstuffs managing director Chris Quin said."What others who compare prices here with those overseas tend to overlook, is most OECD countries have lower or no GST on some or all grocery foods.""For example, Australia doesn't charge GST on meat, fish, produce, cheese and eggs, plain milk and cream, bread and spreads, bottled water, tea and coffee, cooking ingredients and oils, or infant formula."Likewise, in the UK and Ireland they don't have GST on most grocery foods."He said the inclusion of GST in prices made a difference at the checkout."Had the GST exemptions in those three countries been applied to New Zealand in a recent study by Australian researchers, who compared a basket of over 40 products at each country's two main supermarket brands, the total price of the Pak'nSave basket would have been lower than Australia's and lower than Ireland's, and less than 10 percent more than the UK's."He said it was important to consider all costs when making comparisons."To be clear, this is not a call to remove GST from food in New Zealand, as we think our simple low-cost tax system makes sense," Quin said. "But it is important to be conscious of all factors at play when comparing prices here to overseas."He said about 13 cents per dollar spent at co-ops was GST, less than four cents per dollar was net profit after tax, and about two-thirds was the cost of buying the product from suppliers, which rose an annual 3 percent on average in September.He said Foodstuffs will keep tabs on prices charged in comparable overseas markets overseas over the coming months."Because any valid comparison needs a robust methodology that carefully considers the basket of goods included, their weights and unit measures, different sales taxes and fluctuating exchange rates, and should be conducted over an extended period."At the same time, our co-ops will continue to challenge ourselves to do what we can as two regional New Zealand businesses to find greater efficiencies, which was the major driver behind our proposed merger, and one of the best things we can do to provide our customers with savings at the checkout."The Commerce Commission recently pushed back on the proposed Foodstuffs merger of the north and south co-operatives, deciding it would have harmed competition and was irrelevant whether it would have made the operator more efficient.

Retirement Villages Act Review Moves Forward
Retirement Villages Act Review Moves Forward

18 October 2024, 12:18 AM

With the Hibiscus Coast being a popular destination for retirees and home to numerous retirement villages, locals may take special interest in the Government’s ongoing review of the Retirement Villages Act 2003. This review, which follows feedback from over 11,000 public submissions last year, aims to address pressing issues within the retirement village sector.Associate Minister of Housing Tama Potaka, alongside Seniors Minister Casey Costello, confirmed the progress, saying the review will concentrate on essential areas identified by the public. “It’s clear based on the over 11,000 public submissions received in 2023 during consultation that there are some areas with high levels of agreement,” Mr. Potaka said.Among the top priorities for the review are bringing the Act up-to-date with best practices within the retirement sector, increasing transparency, and enhancing protections for residents. Specific changes under consideration include a plain-language version of the Code of Practice and potential restrictions on passing insurance excesses to residents when they are not at fault.Further, Mr. Potaka outlined three key areas the review will prioritise: “Maintenance and repairs of operator-owned chattels and fixtures, managing complaints and disputes, and options for incentivising or requiring earlier capital repayments when residents move out of a village.”Associate Minister of Housing Tama PotakaThe overarching goal remains to ensure consumer protection while balancing the rights and responsibilities of both residents and operators, he added. This approach aims to address concerns from residents and their families while preserving the sector’s viability.Seniors Minister Casey Costello emphasised the importance of retirement villages in New Zealand’s housing landscape, particularly as the population ages. “New Zealand’s population is ageing and it’s essential we have a range of housing options available for older people,” she said. “Retirement villages play an important role in this mix, and around two-thirds of them also provide aged care facilities.”Currently, about 53,000 people live in retirement villages across New Zealand, and that number is expected to double to around 113,000 by 2048, according to industry estimates. This anticipated growth highlights the urgency of the review, as demand for retirement accommodation will likely increase in the coming decades.Next year, Mr. Potaka expects to receive further briefings and discuss the possible changes before presenting them to Cabinet. A legislative amendment could be introduced as early as 2026, with the goal of enacting changes in the next Parliamentary term.

Auckland FC Opener Nears Sellout Tomorrow
Auckland FC Opener Nears Sellout Tomorrow

17 October 2024, 9:00 PM

Coasties and Auckland locals are buzzing with excitement as Auckland FC’s first-ever match in the Isuzu UTE A-League approaches. Scheduled for tomorrow, October 19, at Go Media Stadium, the home opener against Brisbane Roar is on track to be a sellout event.With only a limited number of tickets remaining, Auckland FC CEO Nick Becker urges fans to act quickly. “We’re seeing incredible demand, and it’s becoming more and more likely we’ll be putting up the ‘Sold Out’ sign soon,” Becker said. “Ticket sales have surged in the last few days, and we’re urging fans to act now before it’s too late.”Auckland FC has gone beyond football for this debut, promising an entertaining day for the whole family. Alongside the highly anticipated match, attendees can look forward to a festive atmosphere complete with activities for all ages. Head Coach Steve Corica emphasised the unique experience planned for fans, saying, “We’re creating an experience that’s welcoming to families and people of all ages. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or simply curious, we want you to come out, cheer, and feel the energy. Sing for the full 90 minutes and be part of a day you won’t forget.”Tomorrow’s game kicks off at 5 pm, and fans are encouraged to secure their tickets before they’re gone. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster, which also includes details on upcoming matches for those eager to support Auckland FC throughout the season.

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