The New Zealand dollar is trading near a record high against the Australian currency but that doesn't necessarily mean bargains for shoppers, a consumer expert says.

ASX listed Scentre Group, with nine Westfield-branded malls in New Zealand, intends to sell four of its big centres here.

Energy Minister Simon Bridges says big petrol retailers are "on notice" after they maintained large profit margins while the price of oil was falling sharply late last year.

FCO - Fishing Camping Outdoors - is to close its 13 New Zealand stores but no word yet on what announcement means for employees.

Market speculation about Rod Duke boosting his stake in struggling children's clothing chain Pumpkin Patch has so far failed to become a reality, writes Christopher Adams.

Contact Energy could be heading for a showdown with minority shareholders over what to do with a $1 billion pot of cash.

Mark Powell says "healthy societies need healthy businesses and healthy businesses need healthy societies".

Hasbro, the maker of foam footballs and spongy projectiles, is targeting a new audience: high schoolers.

If you're like most shoppers, it is likely that you do plenty of research before opening your wallet.

ASX-listed Domino's Pizza Enterprises, parent company of Domino's New Zealand, has reported one of its strongest half-year results to date, with net profit of A$29.1 million, up 44.2 per cent on the same period last year.

Retail spending charged to electronic cards fell 0.4 per cent last month, its third monthly decline in a row, as lower prices at the pump offset increased spending elsewhere.

Creditors of women's clothing chain Shanton Fashion are owed almost $7.8 million, while the company has $3.35 million in assets, a wider shortfall than the $693,000 estimate directors gave when the company went into voluntary administration last month.

Despite the fast changing market, JB Hi-Fi excels at jumping on the next big thing in technology and getting the march on its competitors, writes Christophwer Niesche.

New Zealand shares rose to a new record close yesterday as holidays in Auckland and Australia kept trading volumes light.

The Warehouse Group chairman says the company remains committed to its strategy amid criticism that its growth push has failed and major changes need to take place at the board and CEO level.

With reporting season due to kick off next month investors will be on the lookout for poor pre-result trading updates, otherwise known as "confessions".

New Zealand wine drinkers are now enjoying the results of two good vintage years and the outlook for the sector is positive.

The Shanton chain of women's clothing stores has gone into voluntary administration just over two years after it was bought out of receivership.

Work started this week on the $36 million expansion of New Zealand's first shopping mall.

Warehouse chief executive Mark Powell says it will be "a very difficult ask" for the group to beat last year's profits after it announced weaker-than-expected sales.

Warehouse shares have plunged today after it said profits for the first half of the financial year are likely to be down 20 per cent.

Boxing Day is over but retailers are stretching their sales by as much as a week to persuade shoppers to open their wallets.