Night 'n Day

For other uses, see Night and Day (disambiguation).

Night 'n Day

Company type	Convenience store chain
Industry	Groceries
Founded	1984; 41 years ago (1984) in Dunedin, New Zealand
Founder	Denise and Andrew Lane
Headquarters	Dunedin , New Zealand
Area served	New Zealand
Owner	Night 'n Day Foodstores Limited
Parent	Two Four Holdings Limited

Night 'n Day is a chain of New Zealand grocery stores. The stores operate long hours, and sell a range of ready-to-eat products.^[1]

Night 'n Day is the third largest grocery retailer in New Zealand.^[2] Since 2011, it has rapidly expanded its network of stores and focused more on coffee and takeaway food.^[2] During the 2010s, it was one of the fastest-growing companies in New Zealand by revenue.^[3] As of 2024 there are 54 Night 'n Day stores around New Zealand.^[1]

History

Denise and Andrew Lane era (1984–2011)

Denise and Andrew Lane opened the Regent Foodstore on Regent Street, in the University of Otago in Dunedin North, in 1984.^[1] After hearing a BP across the road was planning to operate 24 hours a day, the Lanes decided to do the same, becoming the first New Zealand shop to open 24 hours a day.^[4] Business started to pick up after six months, and local students and motel residents came to call the store "The Two Four".^[3]

The store became the first Night 'n Day store. Additional 24-hour Night 'n Day stores were opened in Hagley Park, Christchurch and in Georgetown, Invercargill in 1985, and Sumner, Christchurch in 1986.^[1] An Arrowtown store was added in 1990.^[5]

The Lanes choose to franchise the brand in 1990,^[1][6] on the advice of NightOwl Convenience Stores brand owner Rod Craig.^[3] The move led to a growth in the chain's store numbers and revenue.^[7]

By 2011, Night 'n Day had 46 stores.^[1]

Three Night 'n Day stores were affected by the 2011 Canterbury earthquake. One relocated, while the other two closed permanently.^[4] Night 'n Day has never restored its previous presence in Christchurch CBD.^[8][4][3][9]

In late 2011, Night 'n Day took over the 21 Woolworths at Gull stores at Gull New Zealand service stations around the upper North Island,^[7] adding 21 North Island sites to its existing network of 25 South Island stores.^[1] Foodstuffs South Island ended its supply agreement with Night 'n Day as a result, leading Night 'n Day to shift its focus to hot food and coffee.^[2]

Tony Allison era (2012–2019)

Tony Allison, nephew of founders Denise and Andrew Lane, became the company's first chief executive in February 2012.^[10]

By 2013, the chain had 46 stores around the country, including five company-owned stores. It had about 750 staff and was one of the fastest growing "mature" business in the lower South Island in 2013.^[10][1]

One of the chain's stores on George Street, Dunedin closed in 2013.^[11] However, the chain continued to grow to 50 stores in 2016, following the opening of stores in Lawrence, Wānaka and Nelson Central.^[1]

Five former Star Mart stores in Wellington CBD were converted to Night 'n Day stores in 2017, becoming the chain's first standalone stores in the North Island.^[1] These stores had high turnover, boosting the chain's national revenue.^[8]

By the late 2010s, the company was regularly achieving high rankings in Deloitte's annual list of the fastest growing New Zealand companies by revenue.^[4][3] The Lane family owned eight of the chain's 56 stores. Two to four new stores were being opened each year. Andrew Lane still hoped to open stores in 20 other locations in the South Island.^[3]

Matthew Lane era (April 2019–)

Allison left the company in April 2019, and Denise and Andrew's son Matthew Lane took over as general manager.^[5] By 2020, Night 'n Day was still being run by the Lane family. It had 26 support staff, 36 franchisees, 52 sites and about 600 staff across its national network.^[4]

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on many Night 'n Day stores.^[9] Under Alert Level Four, they were not allowed to sell major products like coffee, milkshakes and heated food.^[12]

In late 2021, Night 'n Day was the third largest grocery retailer in New Zealand after Woolworths New Zealand and Foodstuffs. The company submitted to a Commerce Commission inquiry into the two companies' duopoly, calling for a separation between retailers and wholesalers.^[2] Night 'n Day, along with The Warehouse and other retailers, expressed an interest in taking a greater role in the grocery market if the duopoly was broken up.^[13][14]

As of 2022^[update], Denise and Andrew Lane's three children were all still heavily involved in the business.^[9]

Products

While Night 'n Day is a grocery chain, it has shifted its focus to ready-to-eat products since 2011.^[2] The chain introduced its own coffee and food brand, Helova Coffee, in 2010, and began selling its own Helova branded frozen yoghurt, cream freeze, slushies, fudge and tea in 2015.^[1] General manager Matthew Lane identifies three pillars to the business in 2019: milk bar products, fresh food and deli foods, and coffee.^[5]

The chain offers a range of products via UberEats and other delivery apps,^[5] including meal combos, snack food, pizza, pies, milkshakes, coffees, ice creams, deserts, drinks, and basic groceries like milk and bread.^[1]

In 2017, Queenstown's Church Street store lost its alcohol license, after the district licensing committee deemed that it was not a "grocery store". It considered the Wikipedia article on "groceries" and dictionary definitions of "grocery" in its decision. It also considered the lack of fresh meat and potatoes during its two visits, the 24-hour nature of the shop, and the dominance of convenience food and confectionery.^[15]

In the same year, the company also withdrew an application to renew its liquor license for its flagship store on Dunedin's Regent Street due to opposition from the University of Otago^[16] and the Dunedin City Council Licensing Office for reasons including the inability to provide key documents such as certified annual sales data. In that case, the district licensing committee was unable to consider whether Night 'n Day was actually a grocery store or a convenience store, as listed on the company’s website for its stores nationwide and thus able to sell alcohol.^[17]

Pre-packaged salads sold at Night 'n Day and other grocery retailers were recalled due to potential listeria contamination in January 2021.^[18]

The chain was excluded from a 2021 nutrition study of New Zealand fast food chains, as no nutritional information of its products was available in-store or online.^[19]

In July 2021, Night 'n Day was the first retailer to start selling Cookie Time's lolly cake biscuit.^[20]

Some Night 'n Day stores have Lotto New Zealand counters.^[21] The Richmond store has the second highest number of winners,^[22] making it a popular place to buy tickets for a $38 million draw in August 2020.^[23]

According to the owner of the Blenheim store, tobacco and vaping products continue to be lucrative, despite falling sales and minors regularly attempting to buy the products.^[24]

Opening hours

The first group of Night 'n Day stores opened 24 hours a day, including on public holidays.^[4][3] Many stores are now open from early morning until late, seven days a week.^[1]

Night 'n Day stores open on Christmas Day, as they aren't bound by the laws governing supermarkets and other businesses. Timaru's Park store has used a range of approaches to cover Christmas Day, including giving each staff member a short shift on that day.^[25]

References

1. "Night 'n Day". nightnday.co.nz. Night 'n Day.
2. "Night 'n Day sets sights on grocery push". Allied Press. Otago Daily Times. 4 November 2021.
3. Harris, Catherine (18 November 2018). "No sleep for fast-growing Night 'n Day chain". stuff.co.nz.
4. Scouler, Jen (27 October 2020). "Adapt to thrive: Night 'n Day's innovative 30-year journey". Deloitte.
5. Melville, Brent (19 December 2019). "Taking a fresh look at corner dairies". Allied Press. Otago Daily Times.
6. Burdon, Peter (2020). New Zealand's top franchise leaders secrets revealed : how to build wealth & success in franchising. Mount Evelyn, Victoria: Global Publishing Group. ISBN 978-1925370003.
7. O'Neill, Rob (19 June 2011). "Gull swoops on Night 'n Day alliance". stuff.co.nz.
8. "Growth reflected in firm's Fast 50 ranking". waterfordpress.co.nz. Waterford Press.
9. Rae, Sally (31 January 2022). "From one store to Dunedin success story". Allied Press. Otago Daily Times.
10. Rae, Sally (3 August 2013). "CEO a man with a plan". Allied Press. Otago Daily Times.
11. Elder, Vaughan (2 October 2013). "Nine jobs to go as Night'n Day closes down". Allied Press. Otago Daily Times.
12. "Food, drinks restricted after change in rules". Allied Press. Otago Daily Times. 26 August 2021.
13. Milne, Jonathan (5 November 2011). "Four small retailers hope Commerce Commission will order supermarket sell-off". Newsroom.
14. Milne, Jonathan (9 December 2021). "Supermarket competition: Consent for Costco megastore outside Chch". Newsroom.
15. Roxburgh, Tracey (30 September 2017). "Night'n Day loses its off-licence". Allied Press. Otago Daily Times.
16. Loughrey, David (29 November 2017). "Store withdraws application". Allied Press. Otago Daily Times.
17. "Student alcohol harm doubles". Allied Press. Otago Daily Times. 7 July 2017.
18. Gabel, Julia (30 January 2021). "Listeria scare: 13 salads recalled, more than 400 supermarkets, retailers affected". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. New Zealand Herald.
19. Henry, Dubby (6 December 2021). "Monster fast food combo provides an entire day's energy, New Zealand study finds". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. New Zealand Herald.
20. "'Best thing invented': Cookie Time releases colab of Kiwi classics - the Lolly Cake cookie". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. New Zealand Herald. 27 July 2021.
21. "Richmond Night 'n Day continues its lucky lotto streak". Fairfax New Zealand. Nelson Mail. 2 October 2015.
22. Gee, Samantha (9 October 2019). "NZ's second luckiest Lotto store busy ahead of $28m Powerball draw". stuff.co.nz.
23. Forrester, George (8 August 2020). "New Zealand's luckiest Lotto stores 'non-stop' with people and queues ahead of big $38m draw". stuff.co.nz. Nelson Mail.
24. Trigger, Sophie (15 October 2019). "Cigarette sting catches store selling smokes to minor". stuff.co.nz.
25. Allpress, Koren (21 December 2017). "Christmas Day at the Night 'n Day store". stuff.co.nz. Timaru Herald.