Tax decision brings 'equal playing field'

University Bookshop manager Phillippa Duffy is "thrilled" with a decision to add GST to low-value goods sold online, saying it will mean an "equal playing field" for local retailers.

Ms Duffy, who took over as manager at the University Bookshop in 2012, has pushed for the change for several years and hailed it as a win for local retailers.

"It's been a long time coming.

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"We've been campaigning as a bookshop and as a wider industry for several years now for a much fairer playing field for bookshops like ourselves against large offshore and online retailers.

"This law means it's going to be an equal playing field."

Ms Duffy expected the change would help the University Bookshop stay successful and allow it to continue to support local writers.

"More than just us though, this will hopefully bring the vibrancy back to the main streets of lots of regional towns and cities in New Zealand whose retailers have had to compete against offshore suppliers."

 - Jessica Howard