The ACCC has offered protection to whistleblower farmers and grocery supplies if they report price gouging by supermarkets. But for those on the land it’s still easier said than done.
Coles
Farmers will attack the govt but not their supermarket giant customers
Farmers appear to have no qualms about attacking the government, but the raised fist turns into a cat’s paw when the time comes to criticise their largest customers, the retail giants, writes Matthew da Silva.
Coles cheap beer deal goes down the drain
Last night Coles Online offered slabs of James Squire and Coopers beer for just $15.99, due to an apparent technical glitch. Should the company have just offered to honour the accidental price?
Video of the Day: Copycat Coles and their lookalike products
Ever noticed that products on the supermarket shelf sometimes look kind of similar? This video by mUmBRELLA reveals the extent to which Coles brand products are packaged very much like their competition.
Coles Sports for Schools promo a first class clunker
A Coles promotion involving free sports gear given to selected schools might sound like a good idea, but the token-hungry system they have devised is ridiculous, writes Ian Grayson.
Bartholomeusz: Woolworths’ executive exodus
Where once Woolworths dictated terms to Coles, it now finds itself in the unaccustomed position of being forced to react to Coles’ initiatives.
Stacking the shelves: home brand vs. ‘premium’, what’s the difference?
As the pricing war between Coles and Woolworths heats up, there are concerns the push toward home brand products could see consumers left with less choice in their trolley. In part three of an ongoing series, Crikey examines the rise of generics — and market power.
Stacking the shelves: the home brand backlash, from pollies to rivals
As the pricing war between Coles and Woolworths heats up, there are concerns the push toward home brand products could see consumers left with less choice in their trolley. In part two of an ongoing series, Crikey examines the rise of generics — and market power.
Stacking the shelves: the rise and rise of home brand products
As the pricing war between Coles and Woolworths heats up, there are concerns the push toward home brand products could see consumers left with less choice in their trolley. In part one of an ongoing series, Crikey examines the rise of generics — and market power.
The weird world where Australians whinge about cheap beer
First it was milk, then beer. Suddenly we all hate competition. What happened?
Fosters: VB is cheap piss, but not that cheap
This month Fosters halted supply of VB to Coles and Woolworths, protesting their decision to sell slabs for as low as $28. They are trying to walk a thin line between producing cheap beer but not really cheap beer, writes Leo Shanahan.
Big and small, Woolies victims come in all shapes and sizes
Is there anyone Australia’s notoriously brutal supermarket giants won’t do over?
Strong dollar, shy consumers = inflation on the downside
Thanks to the strong dollar and shy consumers, plus the growing price war between Coles and Woolies, Australian inflation surprised on the downside in the December quarter.
Just another form of parallel importing
Whether it be Woolworths and Coles in food and liquor or Woolies, Coles, JB and Harvey Norman in electrical goods or Myer and David Jones in department stores, the power is in the hands of the major retailers. How sensible the government isn’t stampeded to change, writes Richard Farmer.
Shonky products and shonky ploys: our worst of the worst
Check out the shonkiest products and ploys in the shops, with consumer watchdog Choice naming its annual worst-of-the-worst awards in Sydney this afternoon. The Commonwealth Bank, Coles, Nurofen and LG have all been named and shamed for ripping off consumers.
Heart Foundation tick and Coles tick go against the grain
The Heart Foundation is getting its undies in a twist about Coles using a tick on its branding. But consumers might be healthier if they let the Coles tick guide their purchases.
Tips and rumours: Tips and rumours: How to beat a hiring freeze
Which department is flaunting parliamentary scrutiny of caps on executive numbers by appointing managers as “principal scientists” even though their role is strictly management?
Tips and rumours: Tips and rumours: Sydney’s Metro blowout
The compensation bill for the NSW government’s failed Metro to Rozelle has blown out far beyond the reported $500 million. But to exactly how much?
Choice: Why supermarket loyalty cards are rubbish
Choice bust open supermarket loyalty card programs in a new report: they generally save less than a dollar per $100 spent, and often end up costing you money. Meanwhile, Coles and Woolies are gathering up your private data.
Tips and rumours: Tips and rumours: The funny side of oligarchic duopolies
Why aren’t Wooworths being open about the fact that the locally owned Thomas Dux ‘corner stores’ are actually a Woolies company? Plus, it is a civil liberty to fly around the country anonymously?
Is Coles trying to kill newspapers?
Coles has now relegated newspapers to the corners of their stores and made it a massive pain-in-the-arse to buy them in the new-fangled “self-service” checkouts? Is the supermarket chain secretly trying to speed up the demise of printed news? asks Tim Burrows.
Tight arses unite for a merry homebrand Christmas
Branded grocery item prices are soaring while homebrand versions are dropping in price. Start buying no name to reign those greedy big brands in, says the government. But should we blame brands or the supermarkets?
Popping the cork on the Coles vs. Woolies bubbly war
In the season of champagne racing breakfasts, expensive champagne has become significantly cheaper thanks to parallel importing and a price war going on between Vintage Cellars and Dan Murphy’s. The biggest winner? Thirsty consumers.
