Peak retail industry body the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) has welcomed the Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services’ report on the inquiry into the Franchising Code of Conduct tabled in parliament yesterday. Chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services, Bernard Ripoll, flagged two major changes to the Code. “To assist the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission in its enforcement role, the committee recommends the introduction... ...Read more »
Australia’s largest consumer organisation, Choice, has announced that Nick Stace, the former deputy CEO of UK consumer group Which?, will take over the reins at the consumer group’s Sydney HQ from Monday 9 February 2009. Mr Stace will step down as the British Prime Minister’s Director of Strategic Communications to take up the role. He has extensive experience of representing consumers and their interests in Europe and around the world. “I’m very excited about joining... ...Read more »
Dairy innovation has been a key driver of growth over recent years and it is set to be strengthened with grants to encourage new product development and shape the future commercial success of the Australian industry. Dairy Innovation Australia (DIA) will offer a minimum $200,000 in funding the program for researchers, with grants given to suitable applicants who apply by the January 9, 2009 cutoff date. DIA told DairyReporter.com that up to AUS$2.5m per year could be provided for suitable projects,... ...Read more »
The season of festive cheer is fast approaching - but for some Australians, this Christmas and New Year will be one of the toughest yet. Foodbank, Australia’s largest hunger relief organisation - distributing food to more than 1900 welfare agencies, is looking for donations from the food industry and consumers to create “an Australia without hunger”. According to Foodbank, two million people in Australia - over half of whom are children - rely on food relief every year. They will... ...Read more »
Australia’s largest supermarket operator, Woolworths, has unveiled a scheme to their employees that will allow staff to use their pretax salary dollars to spend up to A$1000 each at Woolworths outlets prior to January 9, 2009, The Australian Financial Review has reported. The salary sacrifice plan applies to 115,000 of the company’s 160,000 employees, meaning it could encourage a $115m sales boost. The company will only accept two receipts to come to the $1000 figure, however, encouraging... ...Read more »
The Premier of Victoria, John Brumby, officially opened a new $21 million expansion of Patties Foods on Friday, which will greatly increase production for the region’s major local employer. The opening of the new facility corresponds with the 60th birthday of the iconic Australian Four’N Twenty meat pie, whose heritage can be traced back to Bendigo in 1948.In Bairnsdale for the opening, Mr Brumby reported that Patties had expanded with the construction of two new pie lines and a 10,000... ...Read more »
Hans, one of Australia’s largest smallgoods manufacturers, has entered voluntary administration but the business will continue operating while a buyer is sought. Higher costs and stronger pork competition has been attributed with the collapse of the Hans group of companies, with KordaMentha appointed as administrators today. Mark Mentha, from KordaMentha, said the companies, including Hans Continental Smallgoods and the Swicker’s Kingaroy Bacon Factory, would trade normally while the... ...Read more »
FareShare, a not-for-profit organisation that rescues surplus food to prepare healthy meals for Melbourne’s hungry and homeless, yesterday launched a new ‘calculator’ that can measure the environmental benefits of donating surplus food. Produced in conjunction with Sustainability Victoria and Hyder Consulting, the MS Excel ‘Food Recovery Environmental Benefits Calculator’ can estimate the savings in water, landfill, energy and greenhouse gas emissions of 40 food ingredients. “To... ...Read more »
Wine production has gone up, but lower domestic sales and a drop in exports has led to increased wine stocks, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).The total grape crush for 2007-08 came in at 1.8 million tonnes, up by nearly a third (31%) on last year. This produced 1.2 billion litres of wine, up just over a quarter (27%). The total area of grape vines (166,000 hectares) was slightly higher than last year, and with production up, yield rose to 11.8 tonnes... ...Read more »
Lenard’s, Australia’s largest specialty meat retailers, has reported an agreement with Metcash to expand throughout IGA Supermarkets nationally. The agreement builds on the success of Lenard’s outlets in IGA shopping centres since a deal was made between Ritchies IGA and Lenard’s in 2000. Lenard’s founder, Lenard Poulter, is adamant the alliance offers potential for both companies, as it gets Lenard’s into a high flow shopping area and presents a point of difference... ...Read more »