Families Commission's Gallic retail rebrand

The Families Commission is no more. From now on it'll be the Social Policy Evaluation and Research Unit, or superu for short. File photo / Brett Phibbs

The Families Commission is rebranding today taking a name which almost identical to that of a French supermarket chain.

The commission will from today be known as the Policy Evaluation and Research Unit or Superu for short.

The Super U chain, on the other hand, operates 672 supermarkets across France.

The Commission said it was changing its name because it better reflected its work.

''Earlier this year, the legislation that governs us changed to give us the additional responsibilities of monitoring and evaluating programmes and interventions in the social sector, and to provide social science research into key issues, programmes and interventions'', the commission said in a statement.

''Essentially we're responsible for finding out what works for families and whanau.

Superu will continue to use the legal name Families Commission in legal documents and anything tabled in Parliament.

SuperU is also a brand of stabilised nitrogen fertiliser.

Meanwhile, Minister for Women Louise Upston has announced the Ministry of Women's Affairs would also change its name, becoming simply the Ministry for Women, in line with the name change for the portfolio announced by Prime Minister John Key when he appointed his new Cabinet several weeks ago.

"The Ministry will begin to use the new name immediately and take the required steps to implement the formal name change processes in the most cost-effective manner," Ms Upston said.