Consumer New Zealand has launched a national petition calling on the government to do more to reduce the power of supermakets.
The watchdog says supermarkets are making exorbitant profits as the cost of living continues to soar.
It says the government should regulate access to wholesale products and even consider setting up a state-owned wholesaler.
Consumer New Zealand chief executive Jon Duffy spoke to Corin Dann.
Countdown responds
Countdown spokesperson Kiri Hannifin disagrees with the commentary around excessive profits.
She said the business supports the recommendations from the Commerce Commission, including around wholesale.
"We’ve publicly supported the Commerce Commission’s recommendations from its market study and we are actively working on these, including the recommendation around voluntarily opening up wholesale supply.
"While wholesale isn’t something we are currently set up to do and it’s extremely complex, we are well aware of the Commission’s expectations."
