Pumpkin Patch takeover talk

Pumpkin Patch shares rallied to a four-month high yesterday after the embattled children’s clothing retailer signalled that it could become a takeover target.The Auckland-based company said unnamed “third parties” had expressed…

Villa Maria among world's best

For winemaker Sir George Fistonich, despite the dozens of awards his Villa Maria Estate has picked up over the years, being named by Drinks International magazine as the fourth most-admired brand in the world is a crowning achievement.It’s…

Expert says taxing online buys hard

The Government could easily lower the threshold for collecting GST on overseas online shopping but it would be appallingly difficult to implement, says a tax expert.Prime Minister John Key this week sparked debate when he said the…

Chinese business spreading its wings

There’s more to New Zealand’s Chinese business community in 2015 than the stereotypes such as market gardens, vege shops and takeaway bars.As China’s economy has rapidly expanded over the past couple of decades, the Asian superpower’s…

NZ too low on value chain: Bollard

During a flying visit home to Wellington former Reserve Bank governor Alan Bollard has reflected on New Zealand’s response to rising incomes in East Asia and the risk of remaining stuck at the low-tech, low-return end of the value…

Diana Clement: Pays to check bank rates

Are zombies eating your bank interest? Zombie accounts are the ones that pay low interest rates – sometimes as low as zero. Kiwis have millions of dollars tied up in these accounts and are often too apathetic to do anything about…