On Thursday 18 September, Woolworths announced it had dropped the price of its Homebrand white to 85¢ per loaf. The following day Coles followed suit with its Smart Buy white bread and ALDI lowered its price on Saturday. Canberra-based Independent supermarket, Supabarn, has since entered the fray, pricing its bread at 80¢ a loaf. According […]
Supermarket bread wars Read More »
The Harper Review’s Draft Report on reviewing Australia’s competition policy has recommended changes to section 46 governing the misuse of market power by focusing on protecting competition and not competitors, which would restrict the ability of major companies such as Coles and Woolworths to force out smaller competitors if their business decisions had the ‘effect’
Competition policy boost for SME retailers, more retail trading deregulation Read More »
The under-50 age segment has doubled its consumption of iced tea and breakfast drinks, while the number of Australians 14+ consuming flavoured carbonated soft drinks continues to decline, according to Roy Morgan research in September. Whereas 11,347,000 people (or 71% of the population) drank at least one soft drink in any given four weeks in
Beverage market gets a kick out of iced tea and breakfast drinks Read More »
With vertically integrated Coles and Woolworths set for another huge supermarket capacity expansion, price and promotional war, the losers will be Australia’s grocery and fresh food suppliers and independent retailers as the two supermarket giants increase their stranglehold on the industry. This comes against a backdrop of the voluntary Food and Grocery Code of Conduct,
Green light for giant retailers to increase market share as SME business expansion hit Read More »
Calls from Western Australia Premier Colin Barnett, Treasury Secretary Martin Parkinson and a senior Coalition senator for a redistributed or higher/broader based goods and services tax (GST), have raised the possibility of the GST being expanded to fresh foods. And Mr Parkinson, commenting about the Tax White Paper last week, talked about the issue of
Expansion of GST to fresh food to meet resistance from farmer groups Read More »
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission instituted proceedings in the Federal Court of Australia on 17 September against Woolworths Ltd (Woolworths) alleging that Woolworths made false or misleading representations about the safety of certain Woolworths products. It is also alleged that Woolworths failed to file mandatory reports as required by the Australian Consumer Law once
ACCC takes action against Woolworths for unsafe products Read More »
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has announced today that it will not oppose the proposed acquisition of three Progressive Supa IGA supermarkets by Coles/Wesfarmers (see ‘Coles seeks clearance to buy 4 IGA stores & beef up WA presence’ C&I WEEK 24 April 2014). “The ACCC noted community concerns that the proposed acquisition would remove
Proposed Coles acquisition of three WA Supa IGA stores unopposed by ACCC Read More »
Drinks Beverages Logistics Pty Ltd, the company that imports and distributes the Bionade range of boutique soft drinks, applied for voluntary liquidation in Sydney last week. Bionade was touted as Australia’s only brewed soft drink which, in Europe, was claimed to have at one time been an acquisition target for Coca Cola. Managing Director, Karsten
Bionade distributor loses fizz Read More »
Despite refinery closures such as Caltex Australia closing its Kurnell, Sydney refinery in 2014 when the site becomes a fuel import terminal, the retail petrol market is looking upbeat with new and established brands making big investments and rolling out new formats and products across the country. These include new players Puma Energy, Vitol (Viva
New brands, investment boosts retail fuel & convenience market Read More »
The Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) believes the new Grocery Code will have “real teeth” and is slightly different to the Grocery Inquiry of 2008 and the subsequent Horticulture Code. “We believe this code will strike the right balance and while we need an effective, competitive market, it will be an instrument of Parliament,
Grocery Code a re run of 2008 or will it have real bite? Read More »
Calls for reforms to penalty rates were made over the last week by key industry groups the Australian Retailers Association and the Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ACCI) as Australia’s youth unemployment rate reaches a 12-year high. Peak retail industry body the ARA said reducing penalty rates is a crucial step in creating higher
Industry call for penalty rate reform, as youth unemployment spikes Read More »
Woolworths and Coles continue to open new supermarket and liquor stores unabated and move into country towns, high streets and suburbs, facilitated by compliant councils and state governments, taking more market share away from independent retailers. While the two majors are signing a code of conduct for their trading relationships with suppliers, their capacity expansion
Call to reign in rampant supermarket majors, losses hide in food & liquor reporting Read More »
Large retailers are gaining volume discounts on credit card interchange fees, while small-medium-sized retailers including convenience stores are being slugged with much higher credit and debit card and eftpos ‘interchange’ fees than large national chains such as Coles and Woolworths. This is happening under an interchange fee system that hasn’t changed much since 2006-08, regulated
Small retailers slugged for interchange credit card fees Read More »
