Every day in the media, we’re treated to gems coming from the ACCC inquiries into grocery prices and petrol retailing.
Every day, there’s another revelation from Woolworths or Coles on one subject or the other. Coles admits to ripping us off on fuel pricing. Woolworths now admits to boosting it’s profit margins on it’s Australian businesses in order to keep it’s New Zealand operations afloat. All at our – the Australian shopper’s – expense. Marvellous stuff, but what is the ACCC going to do about these bare-faced admissions? Can it do anything? Absolutely nothing, I’d suggest. Meanwhile, if you’re shopping at Woollies, you’re helping to support a New Zealand business operation which is losing money, effectively.
As for some forty percent or more of the grocery marketplace in this country being held by “Aldi, independent grocers, milk bars, petrol stations and specialty stores”, I’d suggest Mr Luscombe needs to be given an average shopper’s weekly list & sent out into the real world to get the ‘best buys’. He won’t be getting them at the local servo, any independent or Aldi either. Competition is healthy in Australian grocery marketplace. It’s the Woolworths/Coles cabal against the rest. The simple fact that no single entity can adequately compete with the grocery camarilla, is immaterial. If both of the giants say competition is alive & kicking, then it must be so. Graham Samuel clearly believes the stories he’s being told.