Supermarket giant Woolworths this week announced plans to trial buying milk directly from dairy farmers in the Manning Valley in New South Wales. Woolworths says the trial of a direct relationship between the supermarket and dairy farmers is “seeking to give dairy farmers a better deal for their milk, end-to-end transparency from shed to shelf, the certainty of a longer term contract and a closer relationship to their consumers”. Woolworths wants to stock milk sourced directly from the Manning... ...Read more »

Supermarket giant Coles has surprised its rival Woolworths by secretly buying one of Woolworths’ most profitable Sydney stores. Woolworths confirmed that Coles recently bought its store in Neutral Bay, which is on Sydney’s lower North Shore. A Woolworths spokesperson said the purchase by Coles had not been anticipated. According to internal reports obtained by Fairfax Media journalists, Coles paid $40 million for the centre that the Woolworths store is part of, concealing its involvement in the... ...Read more »

Dairy company Chobani Australia has introduced seven new flavours to its 170g Greek yoghurt range. The new flavours, which will be available in Woolworths supermarkets, are Raspberry, Honey, Apple Cinnamon, Lemon, Pear, Black Cheery and Blood Orange, and will be available in fat-free and low-fat yoghurt varieties. Chobani says its straining process requires three litres of milk to make one litre of Greek yoghurt, and that the new flavours means its range now consists of 14 flavours. “Chobani was... ...Read more »

The Australian Federal Government could abandon plans for a voluntary code of conduct in favour of a mandatory code, enforceable by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). According to various sources, the Australian Government is considering a mandatory code if negotiations for a voluntary code fail. If a mandatory code of conduct is developed, it could be similar to the UK’s Grocery Supply Code of Practice, which is enforced by a supermarket Ombudsman. Negotiations towards... ...Read more »

Major supermarket chain Woolworths has been fined $7,500 for selling food past its Use-by date in Murray Bridge in South Australia. On Friday last week (8 March), the Woolworths Ltd pleaded guilty in the Adelaide Magistrates Court to selling two packets of food past their Use-by dates in May last year. Two packets of an Asian-style lamb and rice dish that were 13 days past the Use-by date were sold in a Woolworths store in Murray Bridge last year. Standard 1.2.5 of the Australia New Zealand Food... ...Read more »

Supermarket giant Woolworths is facing heated criticism from its suppliers after a recent newspaper report revealed the existence of a dossier produced by the Company. The dossier reportedly claims that increased competition from Aldi was driving Woolworths to expand its private label product range. The claims in the Woolworths dossier have added fuel to an already-heated debate about how the major food retailers deal with their suppliers. Both Woolworths and Coles are currently being investigated... ...Read more »

Australia’s largest retailer, Woolworths Limited, last week announced its first half year sales from continuing operations increased to $30.7 billion, an increase of $1.4 billion or 4.8% on the same period in the previous year. CEO Grant O’Brien said, “This solid first half result is a reflection of the sharpened focus on our core businesses and better meeting our customers’ needs. The growth our businesses are achieving while pursuing a transformational path for Woolworths is pleasing. However,... ...Read more »

The ACCC has launched an investigation into Coles and Woolworths over possible misuse of their market power and indications of “unconscionable conduct” in relation to deals with their suppliers. While both supermarket groups are maintaining their innocence, the ACCC is also hinting it will be using its mandatory information-gathering powers to obtain more information. The grocery giants have been accused of discriminating against supplier brands for the supermarkets’ own labels, and adding... ...Read more »

Woolworths Limited has today released its second quarter results, up 3.8 per cent in the supermarket division and 4.8 per cent overall compared with this time last year. Woolworths’ food and liquor division reported revenue of $10.35 billion, and $13.2 billion across the entire supermarket division in Australia and New Zealand. The revenue was slightly higher than Coles $9.9 billion announced yesterday, in spite of Coles’ stronger sales growth. Australian Food and Liquor performed well, growing... ...Read more »

Australia’s Woolworths supermarket chain has announced its commitment to have all the wild-caught fish it sells certified by the Marine Stewardship Council by 2015. Sydney’s famous Taronga Park Zoo has teamed up with Woolworths to launch a new program which aims to improve marine conservation in Australia. A spokesperson for Woolworths said that 100 per cent of Select canned tuna, which is 1.2million kg of tuna, will be ‘pole and line’ caught by the end of 2013, substantially reducing the... ...Read more »