Banning single-use plastic bags makes sense, as long as it doesn’t usher in behaviours that are just as bad, or worse – like over-using heavier bags made of even more plastic.
The success of the plastic bag ban announced by Australia’s big two supermarkets will hinge on whether they can persuade customers to change an engrained behaviour - without annoying them.
Moves by major to supermarkets to only offer plastic bags for a charge could make these businesses more than a million dollars a year, but it may only have a small impact on the environment.
John Rice, University of New England dan Nigel Martin, Australian National University
For consumers of Australia’s retail sector, choice and convenience will continue to emerge. For incumbents unable to deliver on these outcomes, the future is bleak.
The harm pokies cause is widespread and tends to affect those already under significant stress. $1 bets are a good first step toward reducing this harm.
A decision by South African hotel and casino group, Sun International to pull out of Nigeria raises many questions about the conditions of doing business in the second largest economy in Africa.
Some of the bigger grocery retailers are moving away from convenience stores because of increased costs, difficulties reading the market and cannibalisation.
Woolworths’ move to rebrand its private labels may lead to no points of difference for customers between supermarket products except price, where Aldi is strongest.
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.