Source: Buy NZ Made
As New Zealand prepares for NZ Made Week, new figures revealing an 18% increase in company liquidations underline the importance of supporting local businesses and choosing New Zealand-made products.
Buy NZ Made is urging Kiwis to get behind local manufacturers, producers and businesses from November 16-22, warning that the future of New Zealand’s domestic business sector depends not just on the quality of what it produces, but on whether New Zealanders choose to support it.
New data from Centrix reports that 3,173 companies entered liquidation in the 12 months to September 2026, an 18% increase on the previous year. September alone recorded 314 company insolvencies, compared with 281 in September 2025. This included 296 liquidations, up from 258 a year earlier.
Buy NZ Made Executive Director Dane Ambler says the figures are a timely reminder of why NZ Made Week is so important. “When a small business closes its doors for good, it sends ripples throughout the economy. Employees, families, suppliers and communities feel the impact.
“Retail is the obvious concern, but construction and hospitality are sectors that touch almost every part of our lives, and the recent data shows all three are under pressure. These types of business employ thousands of New Zealanders and support extensive networks of local suppliers.”
Ambler says NZ Made Week, which began as NZ Made Day in 2019 is an annual campaign centred around turning awareness into action, and encouraging consumers to make more conscious purchasing decisions ahead of Black Friday.
“Businesses cannot survive on goodwill alone. They need customers, revenue and New Zealanders who are prepared to support them. Every time we choose a New Zealand-made product or use a local service, we’re helping support the people, jobs, skills and communities that make up our economy.
While household budgets face continued pressure, Ambler says choosing local doesn’t have to mean spending more.
“Buying local is a choice to be more deliberate about where your money goes and seeking out simple NZ-made alternatives. New Zealand has an incredible range of businesses making and producing quality products right here. From food and beverages to building products, furniture, clothing and everyday household goods, there are local alternatives worth seeking out.
“Even small changes in purchasing habits, multiplied across millions of consumers, can make a significant difference to the businesses employing New Zealanders.”
Ambler says the benefits of buying local extend well beyond individual businesses. “Local businesses employ people, train apprentices, support suppliers, invest in their communities and contribute to the tax base that funds public services. They also help maintain the skills, manufacturing capability and economic resilience that New Zealand needs.
“It’s as simple as saying ‘use it or lose it’. If we want to retain the skills, capability, innovation and manufacturing base that New Zealand has built, we need to support the businesses doing that work. We cannot expect businesses to keep making things here, employing people here and investing here if we consistently take our spending elsewhere.
NZ Made Week begins Monday 16 November and encourages New Zealanders to seek out and choose locally made products while highlighting the businesses that manufacture and produce goods in New Zealand.
Find out more at buynz.org.nz/nz-made-week.