Harvey Norman has overtaken Foodstuffs NZ to become New Zealand’s largest advertiser, signalling a decisive year for retail dominance and value-led competition.
According to Nielsen’s New Zealand Biggest Ad Spenders of 2025 Report, powered by Nielsen Ad Intel, the message to agencies is clear: clients are spending where consumers are comparing harder, switching faster and scrutinising big-ticket purchases more closely than ever.
Retail remained the undisputed heavyweight in 2025, with total category investment reaching $675.4 million, comfortably ahead of Leisure & Entertainment ($465.4m) and Foodstuffs ($441.8m).
But the most telling story for media strategists lies in the growth figures.
The biggest year-on-year increases from 2024 to 2025 were:
- Telecommunications: +$41.8m (+25%)
- Beverages: +$40.5m (+25%)
- Government Departments, Services & Community: +$24.8m (+7%)
- Travel: +$23.8m (+10%)
- Business Services: +$21.6m (+10%)
Telecommunications’ 25 per cent jump to $206.8 million in total spend reflects a category in full competitive throttle — a space where switching is easy and differentiation is everything. Beverages climbing to $200.6 million underscores how everyday consumption brands are investing aggressively to defend frequency and loyalty.
Meanwhile, Travel ($264.4m) and Automotive ($346.3m) show that big-ticket and high-consideration categories are back in serious growth mode, suggesting renewed consumer confidence — or at least heightened competition for cautious spenders.
Rose Lopreiato, Nielsen Ad Intel’s Pacific Commercial Lead, said: “In New Zealand, it’s not only about how much you spend, but where you place it.
“With retail still leading the market and competition heating up in categories where consumers are comparing value and changing providers, marketers need a sharper view of where the pressure is building, both the sectors drawing the biggest budgets and the brands increasing their share of voice.
“Nielsen Ad Intel delivers an independent read on that competitive landscape, helping advertisers defend that share and invest where it will have the greatest impact.”
For agencies advising on media allocation, that “where” is becoming as critical as the “how much”.
Telcos climb, QSR reshuffles, banks feel pressure
The 2025 Top 20 advertisers list reads like a map of competitive tension points across the economy:
- Harvey Norman
- Foodstuffs NZ
- Woolworths New Zealand
- Spark NZ
- Chemist Warehouse
- McDonald’s
- One NZ
- IAG
- KFC
- The Warehouse
- New Zealand Lotteries Commission
- Bunnings
- ANZ
- Reckitt Benckiser
- Bank of New Zealand
- Auckland Council
- Farmers Trading Company
- Uber
- Air New Zealand
- 2degrees Mobile
Several shifts underline where agencies are likely feeling the most client urgency.
In telecommunications, Spark NZ leapt from #8 to #4, while One NZ held steady at #7 and 2degrees Mobile entered at #20. The clustering of telcos in the upper tier reinforces just how aggressive the fight for share has become.
Quick-service restaurants also reshuffled. McDonald’s climbed from #10 to #6, while KFC slipped from #5 to #9 — proof that even high-frequency categories aren’t easing off the spend pedal.
Retail competition tightened further down the table. The Warehouse moved from #12 to #10, Bunnings rose from #16 to #12, while Chemist Warehouse held a Top 5 position despite sliding one spot.
In banking, the pressure shifted. Bank of New Zealand strengthened from #20 to #15, while ANZ moved from #6 to #13 — a notable recalibration in a category that invested $303.6m overall.
New entrants also changed the shape of the leaderboard, with Auckland Council (#16), Air New Zealand (#19) and 2degrees Mobile (#20) joining the ranks, while Unilever Australasia, Brand Developers and Mitre 10 dropped out.
What it means for agencies
The 2025 spread of investment shows that despite economic pressures, brands did not retreat — they defended.
Categories tied to value comparison (Retail, Telecommunications, Banking), everyday purchase (Beverages, QSR) and high-consideration spending (Travel, Automotive, Home Improvements at $263.5m) all saw sustained or growing investment.
For agencies, that translates to three realities:
- Share of voice is being actively contested.
- Performance pressure is intensifying in switching-heavy categories.
- Media mix decisions are under sharper scrutiny than ever.
In a market where retail alone commands nearly $700 million in spend and telcos are accelerating at 25 per cent year-on-year, the competitive landscape is not cooling — it’s consolidating around the brands willing to spend strategically.
And in 2025, Harvey Norman proved that in New Zealand, retail muscle still wins the volume game.
