One of New Zealand's two major supermarket chains is cutting the price of women's sanitary products in a bid to combat period poverty.

A major supermarket chain in New Zealand has moved to slash the price of women's sanitary products in a bid to battle "period poverty".

As in Australia and around the globe, the price of tampons and pads - and the struggles of women who can't afford them - have in recent years become a social issue in New Zealand.

Unsuccessful bids have been made to the country's medicine-buying agency to fund hygiene products while multiple charities have been set up to help collect and distribute donations of the items.

So there was praise when Countdown - one of two major supermarket chains in New Zealand (a subsidiary of Australia's Woolworths Group) - this week announced it would be cutting the price of its house-brand tampons, liners and pads.

"Too many women go without sanitary products themselves so they can provide essentials like food and rent for their family," the company's general manager of corporate affairs, Kiri Hannifin, said

"The fact that not all women and girls can access them is something Countdown felt we wanted to help address.'

The change will see a pack of pads - for example - go from about $NZ3.50 to about $NZ2 ($A1.85) and is expected to save women about $NZ750,000 ($A689,792) a year.

Labour Party member for Manurewa Louisa Wall - who with the Salvation Army in 2016 launched a project to distribute tampons and sanitary pads through foodbanks - was among those backing the move.

She said she had encountered stories of women resorting to using socks, newspaper, or reusing pads to get by.

"Female sanitary products aren't a luxury but for Kiwi girls, women and families on tight budgets or low incomes, they're an expense that is simply out of reach," she said.

"We've all got to work together to address this issue and make it easier to ask for help."

However, unlike across the ditch, no political moves have yet been made in New Zealand towards removing GST from sanitary products - partly because of the more consistent way the tax is applied across the board.

The Salvation Army's Pamela Waugh said more discussion was needed to address the issue.

"It's essential women who are making every effort to support themselves and their families are not held back," she said. "Sanitary products are essential items."