The big supermarkets, Woolworths and Coles, will need to think of new strategies to compete with new chains such as Aldi which continue to steal market share.
“Ugly” food campaigns will not solve food wastage.
Flickr/Brett Forsyth
Convenience stores could be the next big focus for Australia’s grocery retailing giants.
Despite the dominance of Coles and Woolworths, consumers are still choosing to buy their fresh food at local fruit and vegetable shops and farmers’ markets.
Sarah Joy/Flickr
Coles and Woolworths’ representation of “fresh” and “local” food reflects heightened interest among consumers about these values. But they also contributes to concerns about the supply chain.
Big can be beautiful for Australia’s retail giants.
Image sourced from Shutterstock.com
Some say the only way to smash the Coles/Woolworths duopoly is more regulation and a consumer backlash, but this assumes all power is used for evil.
The Nationals – of whom Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce is deputy leader – have been agitated at the strong power of Coles and Woolworths to beat down prices of suppliers.
AAP/Mick Tsikas
Farmers will get some extra help in the battle against the supermarket chains in the government’s long-awaited White Paper on Agricultural Competitiveness released on Saturday.
The now-tired David Jones’ food halls could do with a revamp.
AAP/NewZulu/Hugh Peterswald
Supermarket giants are predictably opposed to
Harper Review’s effects test, but the report is a mixed bag when it comes to other retail competition issues.
Coles has admitted it acted unconscionably towards suppliers, and a new code of conduct may not be enough to clean up the industry.
Julian Smith/AAP
Coles and Woolworths spent much of 2014 defending their behaviour in court. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) brought several actions against one or both of them throughout the…
For sighted users, a website looks no different whether it is accessible or not, but users with visual disabilities know all too soon when they are unable to use it.
Coles home page screenshot
A blind woman has launched a claim of unlawful discrimination against Coles and its online website. For those of us who are totally blind and working in the disability law space this lawsuit is no surprise…
We like competition that leads to low prices, but Australians also want fairness.
Flickr/Theen Moy
In the space of just six months, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has launched two major cases against supermarket giant Coles for alleged unconscionable conduct against its suppliers…
What do your shopping decisions tell marketers about you?
Daniel Lee/Flickr
The days when Coles and Woolworths only sold groceries are long gone. Both are now established players in a broad range of consumer markets, with interests in liquor and hotels, fuel and convenience, general…
Lidl: will Australian shoppers line up for another discount grocery chain?
Robert Wallace/Flickr
Australian shoppers have inadvertently invited global discount grocers to our shores by demonstrating their readiness to adopt private labels. In 2001, German discounter Aldi opened its first store in…
The corporate regulator has gone after Coles for unconscionable conduct against smaller suppliers.
AAP/Paul Miller
The corporate regulator’s ongoing battle with the major supermarket chains took an interesting twist on Monday when it alleged that Coles had engaged in unconscionable conduct against various small suppliers…
Chain of responsibility laws mean all parties involved in the supply chain can be held responsible for infringements such as speed, fatigue, and heavy or unrestrained loads.
Dan Peled/AAP
Meeting corporate obligations along the supply chain is not just good practice - when it comes to workers’ safety, it’s the law. This came sharply into focus last week as raids and prosecutions of transport…
A new grocery code of conduct provides new rules for a sector subject to price wars, but will not solve all market problems.
Lukas Coch/AAP
Coles, Woolworths and the Food and Grocery Council have released a draft industry code of conduct to help govern their relationships with suppliers. The code will be “voluntary” under section 51AE of the…
Coles is believed to have applied for an Authorised Deposit-taking Institution licence, which would allow it to take deposits.
AAP
The news that Coles may be seeking a banking licence would, if confirmed, put the supermarket group and its parent company Wesfarmers in direct competition with Australia’s major banks. It would allow…