Kāpiti entrepreneurs claim prior rights to KiwiMart name
Wednesday 16 September 2026 · 2 outlets · 2 reports · updated In this story Green Party
Two entrepreneurs from Kāpiti say they conceived the name KiwiMart before the Green Party announced its plan for a publicly owned supermarket chain. The business has applied to trademark the name, potentially leading to a legal dispute over the branding.
Key facts
4 facts
- The Green Party announced the KiwiMart supermarket plan on 6 September 2026.
- Lion Labs Limited filed a trademark application for KiwiMart on 7 September 2026.
- A second company filed a trademark application for the name on 10 September 2026.
- Lion Projects directors are Cahn McKenzie and Max Fudakowski.
The full story
1 min read · 2 outlets
Two Kāpiti entrepreneurs claim they were using the name KiwiMart before the Green Party adopted it for a supermarket policy. Cahn McKenzie and Max Fudakowski, directors of Lion Projects, state they first considered the name approximately 12 months before the party's announcement.
The Green Party announced on 6 September a plan to establish a publicly owned supermarket chain called KiwiMart to increase competition and lower prices. Following this, Lion Labs Limited director Cahn McKenzie filed an application to trademark the name through the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ).
McKenzie stated, "Our earliest documented internal discussions about using the name date back approximately 12 months, before the Green Party’s announcement". He noted that the party's announcement prompted the company to apply to protect the name for a planned convenience and grocery business.
IPONZ records show the trademark application was filed on 7 September. Another company also filed to trademark the name on 10 September.
Where reports differ
- One report identifies the business owners as directors of Lion Projects, while another refers to the filing company as Lion Labs Limited.
Compiled from reports by NZ Herald and 1News.
