Weetabix shipment to New Zealand blocked by Sanitarium

CEREAL giant Sanitarium has been accused of bullying a tiny store after seizing a shipment of “Weetabix” at the border.

Weetabix on a supermarket shelf in the UK. Picture: Alamy

SANITARIUM has been accused of bullying a tiny family-run business after New Zealand customs seized and impounded hundreds of boxes of breakfast cereal Weetabix following complaints from the cereal giant.

Weetabix, manufactured by UK company Weetabix Limited, is the British version of the original Weet-Bix. Both cereals were invented by Australian Bennison Osborne in the mid-1920s.

Last week, a pallet containing about 300 boxes of Weetabix arrived in New Zealand, bound for specialist shop A Little Bit of Britain, which sells about seven boxes of Weetabix a day, mostly to British expats.

But following complaints from Sanitarium that the cereal infringed on its trademark, customs officers seized the shipment, The Guardian reported.

Store co-owner Lisa Wilson received a letter from customs saying it would release the cereal if she placed a sticker over the Weetabix label, and blanked out the name Weetabix on her online store.

“They walk in and slap an agreement down and it is quite daunting for a very small business ... they are trying to bully the small guys,” she said. “They are trying to force us to do what they want because they are a multimillion-dollar company, but we are not willing to bow to Sanitarium’s demands as we don’t believe there is a case of trademark infringement here and we are standing up for that principle.”

Ms Wilson said the products were completely different. “I don’t feel we should have to cover the word up because they are different words and different customers, and the boxes look nothing alike,” she said. “They taste different as well. Brits who have grown up on Weetabix like it but Kiwis prefer their Weet-Bix, it isn’t a competition.”

In a statement to The Guardian, Sanitarium’s general manager in New Zealand, Rob Scoines, said the Weet-Bix brand was “protected by international law and in turn it is often precluded from being sold in other global markets due to the Weetabix trade mark”.

“In this instance, we have offered the importer a solution which enables them to sell their product while protecting our Weet-Bix brand,” he said. “We are actively seeking their response.”

On social media, many voiced their support for A Little Bit of Britain. “Weet-Bix is nothing at all like UK Weetabix, so stop being bullies and let Weetabix in,” Ali Voysey-Jensen wrote on Sanitarium’s Facebook page.

“Will not be purchasing any of your products in the future due to your bullying tactics with Weetabix,” wrote Tracey Walsh. “They are not a massive threat to you yet you take this stance.”

Originally published as Weetabix shipment to New Zealand blocked by Sanitarium