Failed online retailer Supie owed $2.1m to more than 4000 creditors, report shows

Navigation for News Categories

Supie had $179,000 in the bank on the day it went into liquidation (file picture).
Photo: 123rf

The first liquidator’s report on failed online food retailer Supie has shown the company and its related companies Workerly and Bevie owed $2.1 million to over 4000 creditors.

Creditors include companies from NZ Post to Sealord, Tegel, Warehouse Stationery, Foodstuffs and Woolworths, Fonterra and Coca Cola.

Released on Thursday evening, the report shows Inland Revenue is owed almost $900,000.

Many of the companies’ former staff have been paid owed wages thanks to an anonymous donation but the report shows 89 of the 122 staff are still owed $120,000 in outstanding wages and holiday pay. They received no redundancy.

Supie had $179,000 in the bank on the day it went into liquidation.

The independent virtual supermarket was set up in 2021 by director Sarah Balle in an attempt to disrupt the two major supermarkets.

But the report cites a lack of sales and scale as a contributor to the company’s demise on 30 October.

This is despite Balle’s claims the company had 60,000 customers on its database.

Administrator Richard Nacey from PWC was not available for an interview on Checkpoint.