Media release
13 February 2004

Imported roses passed off as Kiwi made

The Buy NZ Made Campaign is seeing red over a Warehouse Valentine's Day rose offer.

Buy NZ Made Chairman Dalton Kelly says the latest Warehouse mail-out features a front-page ad for fresh-cut red roses for Valentine's Day, complete with a 'Kiwi Made' logo.

"Now we learn the roses were not grown in New Zealand, but imported from Asia," Mr Kelly said.

"I guess there's a bit of inaccuracy here - the roses might have been fresh-cut, but how long ago?

"And a lot of people, having read the mail-out, would feel good about buying a NZ-grown gift for Valentine's Day. They would have been taken in by false advertising.

"We know the Warehouse is in the business of cheap imports - fair enough. But it's not on to use false pretences to capitalise on customers' preference for Kiwi-grown goods on one of the big purchasing events of the year."

Mr Kelly also asked whether the bio-security concerns of the import had been addressed.

ENDS