The acquisition of Australia’s second largest chicken producer - Bartter - by Baiada may yet be blocked by the competitive regulator, with the ACCC releasing a Statement of Issues highlighting concerns with the proposal. Bartter Enterprises, the owner of the Steggles brand and employer of over 4,500, is the second largest producer and marketer of chicken and turkey products in Australia. Inghams - with over 7,000 employees - is the largest, with Baiada the third largest producer of chicken... ...Read more »
George Weston Foods, the owner of Don KRC, and Primo Smallgoods have signalled their intentions to purchase Hans Smallgoods. Hans went into voluntary administration in November, with the business operating as normal until an appropriate buyer is found by the administrators - KordaMentha. “Hans is a great brand and has some world class facilities, so our first aim will be to offer the business to buyers with related interests so that some synergies may be achieved,” Mark Mentha, from KordaMentha,... ...Read more »
Chris Bowen, the Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs, has today announced the details of the Federal Government’s plans for the roll-out of a mandatory unit pricing regime. They include, as anticipated, an exemption for grocers that operate stores no greater than 1000m2, with the law set to be established by July 1, 2009. A transition period of six months will be granted to all retailers impacted by the legislation change. Unit pricing, the display of the price of goods per... ...Read more »
South Australian wine retailer, Moving Juice Pty Ltd, has accepted that it is likely to have misled and deceived consumers by misrepresenting price savings in its sales promotions.Following an investigation by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Moving Juice will take steps to correct representations made during February, March and April 2008 when it promoted two Coopers beer and Dog Leg wine specials in The Advertiser newspaper and in its sales catalogues. Moving Juice said that... ...Read more »
Cadbury announced overnight that it plans to sell their beverage division, Schweppes, in Australia. The official announcement was made as the company reconfirmed guidance of strong growth for their year. They noted, however, that Asia Pacific operations had performed well in spite of the “weaker trading in Australia” - which had been expected. Rumours of a sale have been circulating since May following the demerger of Cadbury-Schweppes in the US, which left Australia as the only country... ...Read more »
Choice, Australia’s largest consumer group, has officially been announced to take over control of the oft-criticised GROCERYchoice website, according to ABC Online. The change will enable more weekly supermarket specials to be shown on the website, as Choice is not as restricted as competition regulator, the ACCC - the current operator of the site. The site launched in August after the ACCC approved its introduction following the Grocery Price Inquiry, but interest has waned - with hit numbers... ...Read more »
The latest survey on the GROCERYchoice website has indicated that, on a total grocery basket, Woolworths supermarkets are the cheapest in 45 of the 61 regions surveyed. This compares with 30 of 61 regions in the previous month’s survey. Independents are again the cheapest in the Eastern Central Queensland sector, with Coles on top in the other 15 regions. The basket prices represent the average price for a retailer within a specified region, not the price for a specific individual supermarket... ...Read more »
The Federal Government is contemplating handing control of the oft-criticised GROCERYchoice website to consumer advocates Choice for a reported $13 million. Despite strong interest upon launch the number of hits on the site has waned from 3 million a month to just 104,000 causing criticism of the taxpayer funded site to escalate. Assistant Treasurer Chris Bowen has claimed that handing the reins to Choice would enable specials to be published on the website and create synergies. “We said on... ...Read more »
Independent South Australian Senator Nick Xenophon is planning to introduce a notice of motion to Parliament next week that will seek changes to the current GROCERYchoice website. The survey, implemented following the Grocery Price Inquiry, has been criticised by some, who claim it does not provide enough timely information for consumers and allay concerns that too much focus is on Coles and Woolworths. The grouping of all independents together has also been questioned. The ACCC has advised that... ...Read more »
The fourth findings of the GROCERYchoice comparison survey were released on Monday and discovered Woolworths and Coles were each cheaper in 30 out of 61 regions for a total grocery basket, with independents cheapest in Eastern Central Queensland. Aldi, which is not included in the total grocery basket category, again led the way in terms of a basic staples basket in all 40 regions in which they operate. Coles, meanwhile, turned the tables on their primary competitor in the basic staples basket category... ...Read more »