Cookware promotion panned as supermarket runs out of stock

Customers who missed out on pots and pans in a supermarket cookware promotion want the retailer to honour the deal.

New World launched its MasterChef cookware promotion in July, with customers given a sticker for every $20 spent until November 5.

Shoppers were given until November 19 to redeem stickers for MasterChef-branded cookware, including frypans, roasting pans and utensils — or “until stocks last”.

But customers who collected stickers and were left empty-handed said New World should have ordered enough stock to cover the promotion.

However, Foodstuffs spokeswoman Emma Wooster said the company had been clear the promotion would run while stocks lasted.

“The promotion officially finished on Sunday, November 5, and like similar promotions run over the years, it’s been strictly while stocks last, and we’ve communicated this throughout,” she said.

The company “forecast the amount of stock needed” by looking at other promotions here and overseas and taking into account the costof-living crisis, Wooster said.

Similar issues plagued a Spiegelau glassware promotion in 2020 and a Smeg knife promotion in 2021.

Customer Phil Stratford said he spent $1200 at New World hoping to get his hands on some cookware but was left empty-handed.

By the time he had collected enough stickers, the goods were gone.

The Lower Hutt man said his New World didn’t have stock but he was “encouraged to spend” and was then given more stickers and told to try other stores.

“I contacted Oriental Bay, Porirua, Stokes Valley and Upper Hutt — same story, all prize stock gone.” Stratford said there was “no goodwill” and the company was “relying on apathy and kindness of customers to let it go”. He said he had reported the promotion to the Commerce Commission on various points, including the fine print with conditions “so small I can hardly read [them] with my glasses”.

Wooster said the New World MasterChef promotion had been one of Foodstuffs’ most successful to date.

“TCC, the international supplier we partnered with, said the response to the promotion has been unlike anything they have seen across their global market,” she said.

“We’ve worked really hard to make sure our customers understood it was while stocks last and what stock was most popular as the promotion progressed.”

Stores had been monitoring stock daily and in-store stands showed availability. There were also updates on each New World’s Facebook page.

Jessica Walker from Consumer NZ said New World had recommended that shoppers swap their stickers for products as soon as they could.

“However, there will be many shoppers who have been diligently collecting their stickers and saving towards a particular item that they now can’t redeem because of the stock situation,” she said.

“We understand New World gave assurances at the start of the promotion that it was confident there would be enough stock to meet demand, so we are disappointed this isn’t the case,” she said.