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
Woke Lite

I Love Ugly

I Love Ugly is a streetwear brand founded in New Zealand in 2012 by Valentin Ozich and a group of friends. The brand is known ...
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Jetstar-Logo Woke Lite

Jetstar NZ

Jetstar, is an Australian low-cost airline headquartered in Melbourne. It run domestic flights in New Zealand. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Qantas.
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Just-Jeans-Logo Not Woke

Just Jeans

The Just Group owns and operates the Just Jeans, Peter Alexander, , Portmans, Dotti, Jacqui E, Jay Jays and Smiggle retail brands.
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Kmart-Logo Woke Lite

K Mart

Kmart is a chain of budget-price department stores. The company operates 325 stores across Australia and New Zealand, with its head office located in Melbourne. ...
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Kathmandu-Logo Woke

Kathmandu

Kathmandu was founded in New Zealand, specialising in clothing and equipment for travel and the outdoors. At present, it is a global outdoor, lifestyle, and ...
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kiwibank-logo Extreme Woke

Kiwibank

Kiwibank is a New Zealand state-owned bank and financial services provider.
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levis logo Woke

Levi Strauss

Levi Strauss & Co. is an American clothing company known worldwide for its Levi's brand of denim jeans. It was founded in May 1853.
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Woke

Lorna Jane

Lorna Jane is an activewear and lifestyle women's wear fashion brand. Founded in 1989, in Australia by Lorna Jane Clarkson, the female-founded activewear brand has ...
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Lululemon Logo Woke

Lululemon

Lululemon is a multinational athletic apparel retailer headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, and incorporated in Delaware, United States, as Lululemon Athletica Inc. It was founded ...
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McDonalds-thumbnail Woke

McDonalds

“New Zealand’s first McDonald’s restaurant opened in Porirua in 1976. Today there are over 170 McDonald’s restaurants across New Zealand, 85 per cent of which ...
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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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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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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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