Trade Aid

We are delighted to confirm that Trade Aid stores will open on Thursday, 14 May. As we reopen the doors, we do so with more commitment to our vision than ever before: A world where trade is fair for all. At the heart of our business we stand for equity, for ensuring that every human being has what they need to be successful. We believe fair trade is still the most powerful means to achieve this across the globe.

As the country’s first and largest wholly New Zealand owned fair trade importer, we are firm believers in many small actions being most effective in promoting change for the better. So, under Level 2, we remain committed to offering you an extensive range of fair trade products from artisans and small-scale farmers around the world that are sustainably produced without harm to the environment.

We remain committed to producing our entire Trade Aid chocolate range at our Christchurch based Sweet Justice Chocolate Factory, the country’s only 100% fair trade, certified organic, chocolate manufacturer.

As our stores reopen, we remain committed to providing customers and staff with a safe environment in our stores. Under Level 2 we are taking the following measures to continue to prevent the spread of COVID-19:

We are offering a Contactless Collection service at many Trade Aid stores. This service includes placing an order by phone, email or Facebook Direct Message and collecting items at your local store. Visit our Find a Shop page to find out which Trade Aid stores are offering this service.

We feel heartened to find that many social media posts indicate that New Zealanders feel a renewed conviction to change from the way we mass-consume cheap products to spending more of our dollar on New Zealand made and ethically made and sourced products. This is wonderful news, although, as we move into Level 2, we are acutely aware that our trading partners overseas are still in the eye of the COVID-19 storm. A mass shift now in consumer spending to buying fair trade products will not only empower talented artisans and small-scale farmers, it will improve lives.

While it will not be quite ‘business as usual’, every purchase in a Trade Aid store, through our Contactless Collection service or online store, or from one of our retail partners will continue to have an impact where it is needed most. As a nation we have worked together to protect our country’s most vulnerable people and to save lives. Now, through continuing to choose fair trade, we can help improve lives in our global community.

Over the past few weeks we have been heartened by the messages of support we have received from customers. Although New Zealanders are facing uncertainty and challenges at the present time, your unwavering care and concern for our trading partners has shown the best side of humanity in crisis.

As we move to Alert Level 3 we are pleased to be able to resume shipping all products on our website from Tuesday 28 April.

We will continue to ship essential items until our last courier pick-up at 2pm on Friday 24 April. After this last courier pick-up, our website will reopen the “Add to Cart” function on all products and remove the Essentials categorisation (all products will fall back into their usual categories of Food, Home and living etc).

We are anticipating a high level of demand next week. So please be kind, be patient and bear with us, as our tireless warehouse and customer service staff work through each order. Orders are currently processed in one or two business days, and we expect the volume of orders next week may add an extra day to this time.

We are continuing to follow all guidelines to ensure the safety of our staff and minimise the risk of the spread of COVID-19. We have discussed with MPI the safety practices that we will employ under Level 3 and have their approval to operate. We will fully cooperate with any requests for site visits at both our warehouse and our chocolate factory. While we are delighted to be able to reopen our online store, we will ensure our commitment to minimising the spread of the virus. This is our highest priority.

The impact of COVID-19 on our trading partners is heart breaking. People we know personally and have formed friendships with over many years are in lockdown with no certainty of income. However, despite this, our trading partners are going above and beyond to keep in touch with their members, providing food and income where no work has been able to be completed. Read these messages here>

As always, your purchase of Trade Aid products at your local supermarket, organic retailer, fair trade homeware and gift store, or through our online shop makes an impact on our global community.

As we regain our freedom to purchase goods in the coming weeks, we encourage you to talk to friends and family about changing to Trade Aid fair trade products wherever possible.

Following the Government’s recent updates on the sale of essential non-food items under Level 4, we have re-opened a number of non-food categories in our online store. The items we are offering once again include blankets, personal hygiene items and warm accessories such as slippers, hats and gloves. All our handcrafted artisan items are guaranteed fair trade and every product you buy makes a difference for its talented maker.

We’ve made it easy to find the non-food essentials on offer, with a new category in our website called Essentials. Just click the Essentials link in the red menu banner to give you quick access to bedding, kids, kitchen and wellbeing essentials.

We are continuing to following current guidelines. We have informed MBIE of our intention to offer non-food products for sale and have provided a list of products on offer. Our warehouse teams are continuing to implement the required safety practices, including split shifts and social distancing, as we extended our range.

At this point in time we have made our best judgement on what products we consider to meet the available criteria. We will update our offering as further information is available from MBIE.

As always, thank you for your ongoing support of Trade Aid and our trading partners.

Since we first started operating in 1973, integrity, fairness and care for others have been the heart of Trade Aid operations. Under Alert Level 4 we will continue to operate in a way that is transparent, puts people before profit and limits the spread of the virus.

While we continue to supply the essential products of food and soap during the pandemic, we are committed to providing our customers with transparent information about our supply chain and operations.

Late last week we temporarily closed our online shop to the public, while we established our staffing capacity and reviewed the information available to us regarding essential products. We have since re-opened the online shop to the public.

We are selling food and soap products only. We will continually review our offering, adding or removing products, as we receive updated information on what is deemed to be an essential product.

We are reviewing the covid19.govt.nz Essential Services webpage daily. As at today’s date, we are operating under:

We were invited by MPI to register for safe practice during the COVID-19 lockdown for both our Trade Aid Importers business and our Sweet Justice Chocolate Factory. We have provided MPI with information on 11 critical questions about how we will stop the spread of COVID-19 while we continue to operate. Our registration has been received, and as yet MPI have not requested any further information. We will implement the required safety practices as we continue to operate, and will fully cooperate with MPI, should we receive any further advice or site visits.

The food products we sell on our website have a “Who made this” tab where you can find information or short videos about the trading partners. Many of our partners are posting updates on their own Facebook pages and websites. We encourage you to use these sources to find out more about them.

With such a crisis affecting our own daily lives, it’s hard to make room in our hearts and minds for those who are already facing significant hardship. This includes our trading partners, who are also people we care deeply about.

We are receiving regular updates and are encouraged to have hope when we receive messages like this one from a partner based in India, “it is a call for humanity to remind ourselves that we need one another and we are interconnected. May everyone be enlightened and work for the good of the other.”

The reality is that the producers who make our products are extremely vulnerable in a pandemic such as this, and New Zealanders are now experiencing first-hand some of the harsh realities that our trading partners face every day. Our trading partners however cannot rely on meaningful government help within their own countries, and even where governmental help may exist in these countries, they may well be excluded from receiving it. For those living day to day at the best of times, this is a crisis situation.

Your ongoing purchase of Trade Aid products at your local supermarket, organic retailer or by contactless purchase through our online store will continue to make a difference to the most vulnerable in our global community. By choosing to buy Fair Trade in this current environment, you are helping us to provide a very tangible lifeline to those that need it most.

In response to COVID-19 Level 4 we are currently only shipping essential items to trade customers. We will not be shipping online orders to the public at this time. Trade customers can continue to order essential items online or via customer service.

Today all of Aotearoa has joined together in a commitment to love and protect the most vulnerable in our nation. With that in mind, we are fully supportive of yesterday’s decision to restrict online sales of non-essential items.

As of 11.59 pm 25 March, we are processing only food orders. We will not be shipping artisan craft products until the restrictions are lifted.

Can I still order an artisan craft product, and simply wait for shipping restrictions to be lifted?

No. We do not have the facility to save orders for a later date. We ask that you do not add artisan craft products to your shopping cart.

We have a wide range of organic and fair trade products. See our full range here.

Soap is the only Beauty and Wellbeing product we are currently shipping. See our full range here.

It is difficult to determine what products in our Beauty and Wellbeing category are classed as essential. We may add products as we receive further advice.

Any orders received from today (26 March) that include artisan craft products will only have food items shipped. Our Customer Service team will be in touch with customers who have placed orders that include craft items, to confirm whether you would like to cancel your entire order or whether you would still like your food items dispatched.

At Trade Aid we have always believed that every single person has the power to change the future. Every choice you make matters. Let the following four weeks be a chance to build your compassion, patience and appreciation of life’s small joys. We will emerge a kinder, fairer community. As always, thank you for your ongoing support of Trade Aid and our trading partners.

Following yesterday’s announcement of the 48 hour transition to Alert Level 4, we would like to update our customers on the status of our business.

Trade Aid Importers Ltd is a supplier to supermarkets, food and beverage manufacturers and other FMCG organisations. As such, it is an essential business and our Christchurch-based operations will continue to operate at Level 4.

Customers can shop for food products through our online shop. Please shop as you normally would.

Our Christchurch warehouse staff are working hard to fulfil all orders placed online or by email or phone. We appreciate your patience as we work through higher than usual volumes. The Sweet Justice chocolate factory, which makes all Trade Aid chocolate, is also in operation. All staff are following health, hygiene, physical distancing and shift isolation protocols.

Wholesale customers can continue to use our online shop or use our Customer Service channel to place wholesale food orders. We have a small team of staff working from home who will assist you.

Unfortunately, the essential business classification does not apply to our Trade Aid retail stores, which are now closed until further notice. Our people are the heart of Trade Aid and we are working to support all affected retail staff and volunteers.

In this constantly evolving situation, we are keeping up to date and following the latest Government led actions. We will continue to post any updates on our website and Facebook and Instagram. You can also sign up to our newsletter to receive updates.

The government site https://covid19.govt.nz has everything you need to know about COVID-19 in one place. Learn the simple steps you can take to unite against the virus and slow its spread. Find out what help is available and get the latest updates.

We’re here to assist and support you during these difficult times. You can call us on +64 3 385 3535 or freephone 0508 TRADE AID (872 332) during office hours Monday to Friday, 9:00 am – 4:30 pm. Alternatively, you can reach us by email at customerservice@tradeaid.org.nz.

Together we can get through this difficult time. Every act of self isolation we take now is an act of love and compassion to the most vulnerable in our society. We will emerge a kinder and more connected global community.

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