Today in Business: September 19, 2025

Welcome to Today in Business - Powered by Spark for Business, an experimental AI podcast by the New Zealand Herald.
Each weekday, we bring you five stories, the best of the New Zealand Herald business journalism, summarised and delivered by an AI voice as an easily digestible recap.
It's Friday, September 19, 2025, and here are five stories you should know about.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon joined Air New Zealand leaders today at the opening of the airline's new Hangar 4 at Auckland Airport. He met incoming chief executive Nikhil Ravishankar, offering advice on leadership and airline challenges. Luxon also discussed the government's new Aviation Action Plan, welcomed by Air New Zealand and NZ Airports. Asked about skills shortages, he said education reforms will help young New Zealanders gain higher-paying jobs.
The Talley's defamation trial has been rocked by revelations the food processing giant became aware in 2019, that its workplace injury management and compensation unit had "likely forged and falsified records". Talley's is suing TVNZ and its Christchurch-based 1News reporter Thomas Mead, over six stories published in 2021 and 2022 concerning allegations of poor health and safety standards at several of its South Island plants, and mismanagement at the company's Injury Management Unit. Talley's claims the stories are false or misleading and defamatory, with its lawyer Brian Dickey arguing they were part of a "campaign" that "put the boot in". TVNZ and Mead are defending the claims, citing truth as a defence and that their reporting was conducted responsibly. Talley's set up the unit in question as part of an Eh-Sea-Sea scheme allowing large companies to effectively opt out of the levy system and instead self-manage employees injury and compensation claims. The trial continues.
Elsewhere, Briscoe Group has opened its media advertising account to pitches, ending a 36-year exclusive partnership with agencies linked to Greg Partington. The account has been tied closely to chief executive Rod Duke and the long-running Briscoes Lady campaign featuring Tammy Wells. Sources say agencies including Initiative and Dent-Sue are contenders. Wells, who has appeared in Briscoes commercials since the late 1980s, recently confirmed her contract had been extended beyond this year. Briscoes and Partington declined to comment on the pitch process. The move signals a major shift in one of New Zealand's most enduring advertising partnerships.
In technology, Meta's launch of its new 800 US dollar Ray-Ban Display AI glasses was disrupted by glitches during a live demonstration. Founder Mark Zuckerberg struggled to take a video call after three failed attempts on stage in California. Later, a chef testing the glasses was unable to get recipe assistance from the AI chatbot. Zuckerberg told the audience they would move on after the difficulties. Despite the mishaps, Meta unveiled smart glasses featuring a built-in screen for messaging, navigation, and video calls. The glasses also include voice-command AI, camera functions, and display capabilities directly visible to the wearer.
Finally, demand for Apple's iPhone 17 has quickly outstripped supply in New Zealand. Spark says the iPhone 17, Pro, and Pro Max models are sold out, though limited stock of the iPhone 17 Air remains. Noel Leeming chief executive Jason Bell reports presales exceeded expectations, with the Pro Max selling fastest. Retailers are offering trade-ins and interest-free deals, but first-wave stock remains limited. Preorders opened on September 13, with first availability today. Apple's website lists varying delivery times, from immediate shipping of some Air models to three to four weeks for the Pro Max 2TB version, depending on specifications ordered.
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