Hello Fresh implemented price increases of between 3.3 and 12.6 percent at the start of August, with a box for four people rising $24 a week, RNZ reports. Consumer NZ said the company had not adequately notified customers, with an email sent two weeks prior using a subject line — "a fresh update on your subscription" — that did not clearly flag cost increases, according to the group's head of advocacy Gemma Rasmussen.

Consumer NZ also raised concerns about the difficulty some customers faced in unsubscribing. "We think that there is a way to treat your customers and really kind of bullying them into staying is not great," Rasmussen said. Hello Fresh said it had absorbed rising costs since 2022 and that the latest increase was justified by investments in product range and local ingredients, and that it had given customers "clear notice" to make an informed decision, RNZ business (NZ) reports.