Two different court cases involving shopping trolleys have lobbed big bills on the supermarket giant Coles. Coles has been ordered by the Supreme Court of New South Wales to pay $500,000 to a woman who was struck by a heavy trolley pushed by a Coles employee. This incident perpetually damaged her hip and allegedly stopped her from adopting a child. Coles had appealed against an earlier judgment of the NSW District Court which had awarded the woman $500,000. However, Coles lost the appeal. The earlier... ...Read more »

KFC Australia has confirmed it will appeal a judgment in the NSW Supreme Court which found it to be responsible for causing the salmonella poisoning of a young girl in Sydney in 2005. The family of Monika Samaan had sought compensation from KFC claiming Monika had become ill after eating a chicken Twister purchased from one of its Sydney stores in October 2005. Monika suffered organ system failures and injuries, septic shock, severe brain injury and spastic quadriplegia. These injuries mean that... ...Read more »

Australian grocery and hardware wholesaler Metcash has notified the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) that, from Friday 15 September, it will no longer require the ACCC’s approval to acquire the Franklins supermarket chain. Metcash has signalled that, after this Friday, it intends to complete the agreement with Pick n Pay, which owns the Franklins chain, by waiving a condition requiring the ACCC’s approval and to settle the acquisition of the Franklins supermarket chain. Metcash’s... ...Read more »

Tesco, the UK’s largest retailer, has won an appeal against a ‘competition test’ in the planning system, which would have seen permission of new supermarkets subject to an analysis of market share in the region. The competition watchdog in the UK, the Competition Commission, came up with the new test to alleviate concerns about the proliferation of major supermarkets in the wake of an inquiry into the grocery sector. The Competition Appeal Tribunal concluded that the Competition Commission... ...Read more »

Woolworths Limited, Australia’s largest supermarket operator, yesterday withdrew its application to the Supreme Court for leave to appeal a judgement by the New Zealand Court of Appeal that prevented them from taking over NZ retailer The Warehouse. That judgment confirmed the decision of the Commerce Commission declining clearance to Woolworths acquiring 100% of the shares in, or assets of, The Warehouse Group. The decision does not mean Woolworths has given up on purchasing The Warehouse,... ...Read more »