Our Woke Rating

We have researched some of the main commercial businesses operating in New Zealand. We looked for some key examples of woke policies and activities, including:

  • Virtue signalling, especially in ad campaigns and marketing activities.
  • LGBTQIA+ activism and marketing, Rainbow Tick certified, financially supporting LGBTQIA+ organisations and causes (e.g. Pride Pledge).

  • Supporting gender transitioning (including surgery). For example, some businesses will give employees paid-leave to undergo gender transitioning.

  • Committed to 40:40:20 gender split (40% male, 40% female, 20% other gender/non-binary), yep this is really a thing.

  • DEI (Diversity Equity Inclusion) policies and gender recruitment targets.

  • Supporting abortions. Woke businesses will often reimburse some costs for employees who need abortions.

  • Integrating Te ao Māori (the Māori world) and Māori spirituality into everything (especially when the majority of their customers are not Māori).

  • Evidence of Critical Race Theory, including training courses on “unconscious bias” etc.

  • Evidence of Ant-Semitism. 

  • Pushing “Climate Alarmism”, and committed to stringent emissions reduction targets. Support for Agenda 2030.

How do we rank each business?

The traffic light system is easy to understand and self explanatory:

Not Woke
Woke Lite (moderate)
Woke
Extreme Woke

This simple rating system is obviously subjective, but it’s our best attempt at giving consumers the insight needed to avoid businesses that don’t align with their personal values. 

  • All
  • Extreme Woke
  • Not Woke
  • Woke
  • Woke Lite
mercury-logo Woke Lite

Mercury

Mercury NZ Limited is a New Zealand electricity generation and multi-product utility retailer of electricity, gas, broadband and mobile telephone services. All the company's electricity ...
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meridian-energy-logo Woke Lite

Meridian Energy

Meridian Energy Limited is a New Zealand electricity generator and retailer. The company generates the largest proportion of New Zealand's electricity, generating approx. 35 percent ...
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Woke Lite

Michael Hill Jeweller

Michael Hill Jeweller is a jewellery company that opened its first store in 1979 in Whangarei, New Zealand. As of June 2024, it operates 300 ...
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Mitre 10 logo Not Woke

Mitre 10

Mitre 10 is a New Zealand chain of home improvement stores established in June 1974. The company sells a range of household hardware, building supplies, ...
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Mobil-thumbnail Not Woke

Mobil

Mobil Oil New Zealand Ltd. (MONZ) is New Zealand’s oldest oil company, with predecessor companies having first established a presence in 1896. 
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One_New_Zealand_(formerly_Vodafone_New_Zealand)_Thumbnail_Logo Extreme Woke

One NZ – Formerly Vodafone

One NZ (formerly Vodafone NZ), is the largest wireless carrier in New Zealand, accounting for 38% of the country's mobile share market in 2021. One ...
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Woke Lite

Paper Plus

Paper Plus (of the Paper Plus Group) is New Zealand’s largest book and stationery retailer. Its stores are 100% locally owned.
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Not Woke

Pascoes the Jewellers

Pascoes the Jewellers is a family owned jewellery store founded in 1906 by James Pascoe expanding from one store in Auckland to now 40 stores ...
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Restaurant Brands NZ Logo Woke Lite

Restaurant Brands NZ

Restaurant Brands New Zealand Limited operates the New Zealand outlets of KFC, Pizza Hut and Carl's Jr.
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Rip-Curl-Logo Woke Lite

Rip Curl

Rip Curl is manufacturer and retailer of surfing sportswear and accompanying accessories. Rip Curls is owned by by KMD Brands Limited (the parent company of ...
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sbs-bank-logo Not Woke

SBS Bank

SBS Bank is a 100% New Zealand owned registered bank. It was founded in 1869. In October 2008 it gained bank registration and the Southland ...
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SparkNZ-Logo-Thumbnail Extreme Woke

Spark NZ

Spark NZ is New Zealand’s largest telecommunications and digital services company. Spark has 63 retail locations around New Zealand. It was formerly known as Telecom ...
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Most Woke and Least Woke Businesses

Woke Businesses in NZ
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Most Woke Businesses in NZ

Here are some of the most woke businesses currently listed on this website. You can decide for yourselves who to do business with and who ...
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Woke Free Zone
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Woke Free Businesses

Here's a list of some of the least woke businesses in New Zealand. You can decide for yourselves who to do business with and who to ...
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So what is wrong with Businesses being Woke?

Most people just want to purchase products and services, then get on with their lives. They don’t want businesses shoving woke beliefs down their throats.  Businesses should stick to business, not telling customers what to think about social issues.

Any wokeness and virtue signalling detracts from a business’ core purpose, and ultimately passes on unnecessary costs to the customer. 

Businesses are free to support causes they believe in. We just believe that consumers should know what those causes may be. 

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