Foodstuffs South Island Limited

The first Foodstuffs co-operative was formed in Auckland in 1922. On 6 July 1922, Foodstuffs founder J Heaton Barker called together members of the Auckland Master Grocers' Association to discuss plans for the formation of a co-operative buying group. The buying group expanded in 1925 with the introduction of Four Square branding on members' stores. Similar co-operatives were set up in other parts of the country, with Wellington commencing also in 1922, Christchurch in 1928 and Dunedin in 1948. Initially the buying groups traded under different names but in 1935, the name Foodstuffs was applied to all the original co-operatives.

There have been various mergers between the small regional co-operatives, and today there are now three co-operative companies: Foodstuffs (Auckland) Ltd; Foodstuffs (Wellington) Co-operative Society Ltd, and Foodstuffs South Island Ltd. Each operates independently and autonomously with its own Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer and management structure. There are no common members or shareholders.

The organisation has continued to evolve, adopting supermarkets early in their evolution with the formation of the New World group in 1963. The PAK'nSAVE group evolved later and the first store was opened in Kaitaia in 1986.

Despite its phenomenal growth, Foodstuffs remains 100% New Zealand owned and operated with all profits and taxes remaining in New Zealand. The organisation consists of three separate, regionally based, retailer-owned co-operative companies and a Federation body, Foodstuffs (NZ) Ltd, which is based in Wellington.