The Council of Small Business of Australia (COSBOA) claims the Consumer Choice website has misleading information that gives free promotion for Coles and Woolworths and provides distorted information to consumers and have called for the website to be shutdown. “I hope the government receives a fee from Coles and Woolworths for advertising and promotion of their brand,” said Bob Stanton, Chairman of COSBOA. Mr Stanton highlighted the example of the ‘Metropolitan Perth and Surrounds’... ...Read more »
Woolworths, Australia’s largest supermarket operator, has announced a 26% increase in net profit, with their long-term commitment to improving logistics systems and distribution networks credited as key reasons for the success. Woolworths Limited Managing Director and CEO, Michael Luscombe outlined his delight with the results. “Today we are pleased to report a net profit increase of 25.7% to $1,626.8m,” he said. “This has been a rewarding year for our team with our... ...Read more »
Woolworths has today announced that rumours of a change to their logo and a banishing of the Safeway name are accurate, but the “Fresh Food People” slogan is set to remain a key focus of their promotions. Twenty one years after the introduction of “The Fresh Food People”, the company will introduce a new logo which resembles a peeling apple in the shape of a W. The new branding was created by Hans Hulsbosch of the Hulsbosch Agency who recently updated the iconic Qantas kangaroo. It... ...Read more »
Woolworths has decided to banish the Safeway brand name 23 years after purchasing Safeway supermarkets in Australia, according to a report in Melbourne newspaper The Age. US retailer Safeway entered the Australian market 45 years ago and their store numbers swelled to over 100 before Woolworths acquired Safeway Australia in 1985. Woolworths decided to re-name the NSW and Queensland stores but stuck with ‘Safeway’* throughout Victoria. Since then Safeway and Woolworths have essentially... ...Read more »
The GROCERYchoice website continues to come under attack, with independent supermarkets, the Federal Opposition and leading retail industry bodies all indicating a lack of support for the scheme. The site, which highlights to consumers the cost of certain baskets of goods at different grocery chains in their area, has been criticised as a “stunt”, “unfair” and too “broad” by some sections, but the Federal Government continues to defend the website. As a host of... ...Read more »
The ACCC report into the state of competition in the grocery sector was released to mixed reactions yesterday. Federal Government “I believe that our action plan, combined with the broader reforms that are already in train to further strengthen competition policy, such as the amendments to the misuse of market power provision and the criminalisation of serious cartel conduct, will ensure that the grocery market remains competitive,” the Assistant Treasurer, Chris Bowen, said. “The introduction... ...Read more »
The ACCC report into the state of competition in the grocery industry has been released, with a number of recommendations mooted to improve competition. It should be noted, however, that the ACCC believe the issue of food inflation may have been overstated in some quarters. Australian Food News reports on the ACCC’s response to the major issues raised during the Inquiry. In General - Key Findings The ACCC suggest that the current nature of grocery retailing in Australia is “workably... ...Read more »
The Rudd Government today released its preliminary action plan in response to the Report of the ACCC inquiry into ‘the competitiveness of retail prices for standard groceries’. The Report reveals there is real reform to be had in Australia’s grocery sector, according to the Government. Despite the Report establishing that “grocery retailing is workably competitive” it also highlighted a number of factors that currently limit the level of competition including “the... ...Read more »
Coles is among the first retailers in Australia to implement a natural refrigerant system in its new Ropes Crossing store, opening this September. The system will eliminate up to 700 tonnes from the store’s annual greenhouse gas emissions. The Ropes Crossing development was completed with the assistance of the Green Cooling Council, a not-for-profit organisation founded by members and suppliers of the refrigeration industry. The Green Cooling Council (formerly the NRTB) has been working with... ...Read more »
The Transport Workers Union, the leading union for truck drivers, has reported that they plan to hold demonstrations every fortnight until the major retailers respond to their requests for better pay. Hundreds of truck drivers participated in a strike at the Woolworths outlet in Rosehill last Friday morning and this followed a protest at the Woolworths store in St. Clair two weeks previously. On Friday they walked from the racecourse to the supermarket for a speech by union reps before stopping nearby... ...Read more »