Our enforcement and compliance priorities
The Commerce Commission sets out our priorities each year to ensure we focus our efforts in the areas that deliver on our vision: that New Zealanders are better off because markets work well, and consumers and businesses are confident market participants.
Our priorities webinar
On 28 August 2025, we presented on this year's priorities.
This year’s priorities
Our specific priorities for enforcement and compliance for 2025/26 are:
|
CartelsWe will prioritise cartel conduct which impacts the competitive process for the procurement of public services and infrastructure contracts. We will take action in this area. Protecting the integrity of processes concerning the expenditure of public funds is essential.
|
|
On-line sales conductBuying products on-line is increasingly a way of life for Kiwi consumers. We will prioritise taking action to protect consumers from on-line sales practices such as fake reviews, misleading scarcity claims, misleading social proof sales tactics, drip pricing and subscription traps.
|
|
Breaches in the grocery sectorGroceries are a critical purchase for all New Zealanders. Consumers should be able to rely on supermarket prices and price promotions being accurate. We will take action where we consider sales practices are illegal. We will also focus on compliance by retailers and wholesalers with codes and other obligations with an emphasis on anti-competitive behaviour and breach of obligations to act in good faith. We will also prioritise enforcement relating to obligations that promote competition (e.g., wholesale access).
|
|
Breaches in the telecommunications sectorTelecommunications services are essential to Kiwi consumers and we will take an active role in monitoring and working with industry to ensure current technology transitions, such as the 3G networks shutdown, are consumer focused and if any compliance issues arise we will take action. We will take action where we see false, misleading or deceptive marketing, sales or billing practices. We will also prioritise enforcement relating to obligations that promote competition.
|
|
Motor vehicle sales and financeFor many Kiwis the purchase of a car is one of the biggest financial commitments they will make. We will take action where we consider that motor vehicle dealers have not met their obligations under the Fair Trading Act. We will also take action where we consider finance lenders have not met their obligations under the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act, including the rules that require responsible lending practices. We are particularly focused on where motor vehicle lenders are providing credit to vulnerable consumers. |
|
Unconscionable conductWe will act when we see businesses behaving unconscionably. Unconscionable conduct is behaviour that substantially departs from expected standards of business conduct and is so harsh that it goes against good conscience. This is conduct of a type that should rarely occur, but if it does, we will act to avoid harm to consumers or businesses. |
Enduring priorities
Underpinning our annual priorities are our enduring priorities. These are core to meeting our responsibilities as a competition, fair trading and consumer protection regulator.
Some of the conduct we see is so detrimental to consumer welfare and the competitive process that the Commerce Commission dedicates significant resource to address this. These are our enduring priorities.
|
|
CartelsWe will prioritise cartel conduct causing detriment in New Zealand. Cartel conduct can comprise price fixing, bid rigging, market allocation by customer or geographic or output restriction between competitors. |
|
Anti-competitive conductWe will prioritise enforcement action for misuse of market power or anti-competitive agreements that cause significant harm to competition. We will also act where we see an appropriate opportunity to test areas of the Commerce Act where judicial guidance would be valuable. |
|
Actions that support our market and economic regulation functionsThe Commission has specific market and economic regulation responsibilities in relation to the grocery, fuel, and telecommunications industries and for retail payment systems, as well as electricity, gas, airports, dairy, and fibre. We will prioritise action which supports our broader market and economic regulation roles. |
|
Product safetyWe will prioritise product safety issues (that are within our regime) which have the potential to cause serious harm to consumers, particularly children. |
|
Vulnerable consumersWe will prioritise enforcement action to protect vulnerable groups of consumers in New Zealand. |