Electronics Mailer This Week in New Zealand

Big-ticket shopping starts with the catalogue

Nobody buys a television on a whim, which is why electronics catalogues in New Zealand get read more carefully than a supermarket mailer. This group collects four retailers: Harvey Norman, JB Hi-Fi, PB Tech and Noel Leeming. All four sell technology, though the mix of appliances, computers, games and home entertainment differs, and the way each one handles price matching is the real point of difference.

What the searches say

The queries are refreshingly practical: "jb hi fi nz tv sale", "pb tech laptop specials", "best tv deals nz 65 inch", and "noel leeming price match". People are usually chasing a category (TVs, laptops) rather than a brand, and they want to know when the next sale lands. TV searches even split by screen size, from 32 inch up to 75 inch, and laptop searches by budget and by brand such as Lenovo. That tells you the catalogue is being used as a shortlist: shoppers decide on the size or spec, then look for who has it featured. Questions such as "what month do electronics go on sale" and "best time to buy tv nz" come up too. Black Friday features in the queries for both JB Hi-Fi and PB Tech, so the late-November catalogues are the ones many shoppers wait for. We cannot promise what will be in any future catalogue, so treat sale timing as a pattern to watch, not a rule.

Price match: four different approaches

Price matching is where you should read the fine print. JB Hi-Fi has a price match promise, requested through Live Chat or by phone, and Consumer NZ notes that it matches without a further discount on top. PB Tech handles requests at its discretion, and the item must be identical, new, held in New Zealand and not on clearance. Noel Leeming advertises a competitor price match with conditions, and Consumer NZ says it also matches without a further discount. In July 2025 the Commerce Commission filed criminal charges against it in the Auckland District Court under the Fair Trading Act. They cover the Price Promise, which the Commission considers misleading because of limits and conditions that were not obvious, as well as promotions where the advertised product or price differed from what could be bought, and incorrect information about Consumer Guarantees Act rights. Noel Leeming says it has committed no offence and will defend the case, and we found no reported outcome yet. Read the current wording before you rely on the promise. Harvey Norman is the odd one out in our facts: we could not confirm a NZ loyalty card, but it does promote Gem Visa interest-free finance. The practical lesson is simple: bring a link to the cheaper listing and ask before you pay, not after.

Returns and the law

Policies for changing your mind vary. Harvey Norman offers 14 days to any store, with proof of purchase, unopened packaging and listed exclusions. PB Tech offers a 7-day exchange for change of mind, with special orders, software and eVouchers excluded. None of this replaces your statutory rights: under the Consumer Guarantees Act a faulty product should be repaired, replaced or refunded whatever the store warranty says, and the Consumer Protection website explains that those rights cannot be signed away. The Act does not cover simple change of mind, which is exactly why the store windows above matter. If a television arrives damaged, you are in the Act’s territory, not the store’s goodwill.

Collecting, delivering and paying

These stores compete on convenience as much as on the advertised special. PB Tech offers click and collect from any store, ready within an hour if stocked, with transfers taking up to 5 working days. Noel Leeming lists free one-hour click and collect where stock allows. JB Hi-Fi mentions click and collect and 90-minute Uber delivery. For payment, JB Hi-Fi lists Gem Visa, Afterpay and Zip on its NZ sale page, and Noel Leeming offers Afterpay online and in store. Finance is worth a careful read of the terms; a catalogue front page is not the place to learn them.

Trading days

Electronics shops follow the Shop Trading Hours Act like everyone else, and the employment.govt.nz site puts the restricted days at Christmas Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Anzac Day until 1 pm. Harvey Norman lists the restricted days as Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Christmas Day and Anzac Day until 1 pm, and JB Hi-Fi and Noel Leeming also point to restricted trading days. A sale that ends on an Easter weekend may therefore have fewer in-store hours than you expect, so check the store page.

A sensible way to use the catalogues

• Decide on the model first, then use the catalogue to see who has it featured.
• Open two catalogues, not five. Comparing identical models is what price match requires anyway.
• Screenshot the cheaper listing, with date, before you ask a shop to match it.
• Check the return window before buying, especially for opened items.

Related groups

If the purchase is part of a home project, the home and garden catalogues cover the hardware and furnishing side, and the New Zealand overview links every other group. Prices are not published on AdsSOS; the catalogue itself, and the retailer, are the final word.