Progressive Enterprises

Infobox Company
company_name = Progressive Enterprises
company_
company_type = Limited liability company
foundation = 1949
location = Auckland, New Zealand
industry = Retail
num_employees = 18,000
parent = Woolworths Limited
homepage = http://www.progressive.co.nz/

Progressive Enterprises Limited is an Australian owned company operating in New Zealand, and a subsidiary of the Australian retail group Woolworths Limited.

Progressive Enterprises, with a 45% market share,Fact|date=February 2008 is New Zealand's largest-equal grocer. Along with the conglomerate rival grocer Foodstuffs, it forms part of the New Zealand supermarket duopoly.

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, 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. [ [http://xtramsn.co.nz/businessandmoney/0,,13273-6218286,00.html Business & Money ] ] The company responded by suspending grocery distribution centre operations and allowing suppliers to send stock directly to supermarkets. [ [http://xtramsn.co.nz/businessandmoney/0,,13273-6227742,00.html Business & Money ] ]

Also in 2006, the company was awarded the Roger Award For The Worst Transnational Corporation Operating in New Zealand.

On 15 Aug 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

tore Brands

Progressive runs the following grocery store chains:

* Woolworths: 63 supermarket stores nationwide
* Countdown: 55 discounter supermarket stores, including a number of rebranded "Big Fresh" stores following the Progressive takeover of Woolworths Supermarkets NZ
* Foodtown: 30 supermarket stores across the upper North Island.
* SuperValue: 31 South Island convenience supermarket stores, many stores in North Island as well, run as a franchise
* Freshchoice: 11 South Island stores 1 in North Island- Higher quality supermarket with a large range, run as a franchise
* Woolworths @ Gull 22 Woolworths Quickstop and Micro StoresIt operates internet grocery stores in the name of Woolworths Home Shopping [ [https://www.woolworths.co.nz/homeshopping/default.asp] ,] and Foodtown Online. [ [https://www.foodtown.co.nz/homeshopping/default.asp Online Food Shopping - Online Food Recipes - Foodtown Online Supermarket New Zealand ] ]

Former Store Brands

* 3 Guys
* Big Fresh
* Price Chopper
* Georgie Pie

Product Brands

* Woolworths Select
* Home Brand
* Signature Range
* Naytura
* Freefrom

Former Product Brands

* Basics

ee also

* 2006 Progressive Enterprises dispute (pay dispute resulting in industrial action at several distribution centres)
* onecard

References

[http://xtramsn.co.nz/businessandmoney/0,,13273-6218286,00.html "Supermarket workers vote on strike"] NewstalkZB/XtraMSN, August 26, 2006, retrieved August 29, 2006

[http://xtramsn.co.nz/businessandmoney/0,,13273-6229287,00.html "Supermarket suspends distribution centres"] NewstalkZB/XtraMSN, August 29, 2006, retrieved August 29, 2006

External links

* [http://www.progressive.co.nz/home1.asp Progressive Enterprises Limited]
* [http://www.progressive.co.nz/news_and_publications/press_releases/cdf28828-7684-4cb4-bfcf-447e6e1975dc.asp Press release - Woolworths acquisition]