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.
Woolworths
Mayne v Andrews: big parties awash with pokies cash
Pokies industry donations for 2010-11 got a brief mention in yesterday’s coverage and they certainly make for interesting reading when totalled up.
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.
Should Woolworths consolidate Dick Smith?
An expert has recommended Woolworths consolidate Dick Smith outlets into its existing Big W network after a report called for the closure of more than half Dick Smith stores, writes Patrick Stafford.
Super Thursday for AGMs with Gunns and Woolies in firing line
The AGM season formally finishes next Wednesday, November 30, and the final days will feature the traditional avalanche of penny dreadful gatherings, most of which will be missed by the media.
Woolworths v Wesfarmers: good corporate citizens or irresponsible pokies pariahs
Pressure is mounting on the blue-blood directors of Woolworths to decide whether they are pillars of the community or pariahs.
Political snippets: Woolworths’ ACDC wine brain fade
Perhaps Woolworths will ask the producers to add a Bon Scott label drawing attention to the coroner’s finding that the original lead singer for the band died of “acute alcohol poisoning”
Credit union wars break out in Maleny
CUA has already merged with two Victorian-based credit unions without a hitch. But its next target — Maleny Credit Union (MCU) in Queensland — has all the hallmarks of a bruising battle, says John Addis, Crikey director and founder of Intelligent Investor.
Bipartisan attack on Woolworths over bullyboy legal tactics
It’s not often you get former John Howard cabinet favourites turning up at protest rallies against big business.
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.
Shopping … it’s about choice and there’s plenty of it
You don’t have to shop at Coles or Woolies or Metcash or Aldi or other stores. You can shop local and patronise smaller chains or outlets.
TV or not TV, that’s the question for Harvey et al. It’s not
There’s been another bit of unfortunate news for the campaign by Gerry Harvey, Myer, Solomon Lew and other retailers to levy a GST on offshore internet purchases under $1000.
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.
Woolies wants a bigger train set, but keeps on trucking
Woolworths says it would happily transfer more of its freight from road to rail if there was an inland Melbourne-Brisbane line, writes Angus Kidman, a freelance writer.
Woolies, Brumby — a story of pokies, planning deals & hypocrisy
With planning one of the hot-button issues in the Victorian election, it was perhaps a tad unsubtle of Woolworths CEO Michael Luscombe to go out of his way at the AGM in Brisbane yesterday to thank John Brumby for completely side-lining local communities and councils.
Pokies, Gonski, red-faced Woolies, pollsters and censorship
If ever you wanted evidence that Woolworths is embarrassed about being Australia’s biggest pokies operator, look no further than the fact it is still yet to tell the ASX about spending more than $150 million buying new licences in Victoria.
The ‘three imbeciles’ call a Woolies EGM to remove chairman
Woolworths CEO Roger Corbett may be regretting getting into bed with pokies billionaire Bruce Mathieson, after his comments on ABC radio have landed both men in hot water.
Pokies industry arguments and edifices starting to crumble
With the federal government now considering the Productivity Commission’s final report, the pokies industry won’t just be able to heavy individual state governments that are so addicted to the tax revenue.
