A small act of defiance in aisle seven
The other day I did something pretty mundane. I posted a Sorbent toilet paper advert on X, and I wrote that I’d be buying it from now on.
Not because it changed my life. Not because I’ve suddenly become a toilet paper connoisseur. I posted it because the advert was simple, unapologetic, and oddly refreshing. It was made in New Zealand. It didn’t do that trendy corporate thing where every brand races to sprinkle in buzzwords to prove it’s on the right side of history. No performative “Aotearoa” drop for the sake of it. Then right at the end it had the New Zealand flag flying, with the caption “a national treasure”.
Cheesy? Maybe. But also… kind of the point.
It got me thinking about how easily we’ve normalised the slow replacement of New Zealand values, and the quiet hollowing out of Kiwi ownership. Not by invasion or drama, but by a thousand small decisions - what we buy, where we eat, who we reward, what we shrug off because it’s cheaper, easier, or “close enough”.
So I’ve decided to run a little experiment. For the next month, I’m going to try my hardest to buy New Zealand made and, where I can, New Zealand owned and operated. Not just the “packed in NZ” trick, but actual Kiwi businesses that keep money circulating here, employ locals, and have some skin in the game beyond a marketing department.
It’s not going to be perfect. It can’t be. Fuel is fuel, for starters. Some categories are dominated by overseas brands, and some Kiwi alternatives either don’t exist or cost a bit more. But that’s the point too. We’ve been trained to treat price as the only value that matters, even when the long-term cost is watching our own businesses get squeezed out.
If I’m honest, I’ll notice it most in the little treats. I like a curry once or twice a month. That won’t be happening at the usual places. I’ll pay a bit extra and go somewhere owned by Kiwi’s instead. Not because I’ve suddenly become a saint, but because if I’m going to spend money on a meal out, I’d rather it supports struggling Kiwis rather than a fresh immigrant.
This is my small pushback against a culture that increasingly feels imported, managed, and sanitised. Against the idea that our identity is just a brand asset to be reworded, repackaged, and sold back to us. Against the way Kiwi ownership is treated like an optional extra, right up until we wake up and realise we don’t own much of anything.
The hardest part for me will probably be the liquor store. New Zealand isn’t exactly famous for world-class rum, and I’m not pretending this challenge won’t test my discipline. The good news is my liquor cabinet is already pretty chocka, so I’m not exactly facing hardship here.
This isn’t about purity politics. It’s not about never buying anything foreign again. It’s about paying attention and choosing deliberately, even if it’s only for a month. Because those choices add up.
So that’s the project - one month minimum of buying Kiwi where I can, and backing local businesses on purpose, not by accident.
Wish me luck. I’ll update you at the end of March.
Nice one Matua. I live 90 mins from the nearest store. My brother lives in the same area. He buys from Temu and orders from China to his door. My little contribution has been refusing to buy online or open a Temu account. Instead I'll drive 90 mins to buy my items from the local town which services a rural community of about 10,000. It costs me more and I can't really afford it, but it does make me feel like I'm helping the country in a small way. My brother thinks I'm mad. 😉
good for you Matua - you might want to try our NZ Wine - start with a riesling. I belong to a community garden, buy home kill and like you buy Kiwiana where I can, use cash mostly .... anyone reading your column should take up the challenge also :-)