Curiously ‘essential’ products

Kiwis in need of essential heaters and blankets can now buy them online after the Government clarified the rules around essential goods.

The Warehouse, Briscoes, Noel Leeming, Mitre 10 and Smith City are able to sell essential goods online.

Most essential items listed online will benefit many Kiwi families, by keeping them warm, giving them a chance to top up their pantries, and making sure they can stay connected with family.

But among the many essential goods are some slightly curious, weird and wonderful ones too. Here’s a snapshot of some of intriguing essential items Stuff found online:

Kitchen accessories

Briscoes’ website lists a range of essential goods. But if you delve deeper into the kitchen section, you’ll come across items such as a bamboo tea box that can store your tea bags in. As well as apple and egg slicers, icecream scoops, and apple corers.

Those rubber seals that go in jar lids have also been listed as essential

Beauty and decor

As well as key essentials, The Warehouse has a pomegranate and passionfruit face mask or a charcoal and manuka honey clay mask or nose strips for your pores – which are listed under health and beauty.

Appliances

At Noel Leeming, there’s a big range of whiteware, household appliances and tech electronics that have been given the essential nod of approval.

If you’re after TVs, computers, phones, or audio equipment, it’s all there. You can even buy a whole canopy rangehood for your kitchen for $599. Or if you’re in dire need of caffeine, there is a range of coffee machines available, from $200 to $2399.

The Government’s Covid-19 website states that it is difficult to be prescriptive about what an essential product is.

‘‘We expect that essential goods cover those products that keep people warm, replace key household appliances, and maintain people’s health. They may include, for example, blankets, heaters, kitchenware and appliances, whiteware, computer equipment and mobile phones.’’

The loosening of the rules around essential items was praised by many Kiwis who wanted to buy warm clothes for their growing kids, more bakeware and kitchen utensils, and access electronics needed to make working from home easier.

A spokesperson for The Warehouse Group said it was actively reviewing the list of items available to its customers in line with its intention to meet the government guidelines.

Briscoes has been contacted for comment.