Consumers could benefit from a supermarket merger if Foodstuffs has to make other changes. 

The supermarket giant is proposing to merge their North Island and South Island co-operatives into one national co-op. 

Business consultant Ernie Newman told Mike Hosking that Foodstuffs could be asked to break up into separate wholesale and retail business units. 

He says suppliers could have other avenues. 

Newman says companies like Night 'n Day and The Warehouse could buy from Foodstuffs Wholesale, and become truly independent. 

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