Australians have been warned to prepare themselves for “some serious inflation” in our cost of living because of surging food costs, writes Glenn Dyer.
Woolworths
Woolies’ ALG in $87m of deals with Mathieson’s ALH
Woolworths, the country’s biggest retailer, has disclosed $87 million worth of related party transactions between it’s ALG group and related companies associated with the CEO of ALH, Bruce Mathieson.
The Government’s bulging ad, sorry, information budget
The government has the biggest advertising budget of any organisation in the country. Luke McKenna and Thomas Hunter track where all the money is going.
Buying a broken business from Coles is not the path to disaster
Contrary to what some analysts are writing, buying a broken business from Coles is not the path to disaster, writes Rob Lake.
Sigma takes a battering, pharmaceutical sector in turmoil
Pharmaceutical manufacturer, wholesaler and retailer Sigma was spanked in early ASX trade today following the release of disappointing results, writes Rob Lake.
Coles quietly slips away
The penultimate chapter in the sad recent history of Coles was played out this morning. Coles announced their last financial results as an independent retailer. A quiet little affair was arranged for the event. CEO John Fletcher, COO Mick McMahon and Chair Rick Allert delivered their final results to a phone hook up and Internet broadcast, electing not to eyeball pesky investors, writes Rob Lake.
Rudd’s got a point: food sales are booming
There’s something to Kevin Rudd’s claims that food prices are rising at a level well above inflation. The latest retail sales figures from the ABS show clearly that food is booming.
Fosters forecasts wine price hike of 20%, so stock up
Buried in yesterday’s annual profit announcement from beer and wine group, Foster’s, was some bad news for Australian wine tipplers. It’s time to stock up.
Seven, the AFL and an absence of accountability
If proof were needed of how weak media accountability is in Australia, the Channel 7 case involving the publication of AFL players’ medical records provides it.
Seven News theory a one-night wonder
Yes, Seven News was weak in Melbourne on Monday night but Age journalists, Matthew Ricketson and Caroline Wilson, failed to spot something important as they tied the slump to the Network’s dispute with the AFL.
Tips and rumours
Watch this space. EasyCruise.com plans to expand in Australia and NZ Star Cruises also plan to expand operations during 2008/09 to give Australian travellers a choice of cruise lines. Copping the bill. Well a certain foreign Navy training vessel skipped town (Cairns to be precise) with a load of fuel it hadn’t paid for. Their […]
Rate rise: the tallback reaction
How did the rate rise play out in talkback country? A small sample.
RBA is really targeting John Howard’s spendathon
If ever there was a statement of Reserve Bank independence it was this morning’s effort from governor Glenn Stevens announcing that interest rates were going up by 25 basis points to 6.5 percentage points.
When will Rudd take a swing at the banks?
Kevin Rudd’s rhetorical swipe at Coles and Woolworths has caused quite a stir and should give great pause to Wesfarmers as it contemplates going over the top to buy into the world’s most concentrated grocery market.
Kevin Rudd and his pet parrot, Gloria
Kevin Rudd plans to monitor the activities of the retail duopoly has clearly pleased Alan Jones, but anyone who has read Jonestown will immediately recognise what is going on here. The Parrot is being duchessed.
Woolies rubs salt in Coles’ wound (for now)
To Coles, Woolworths has become taillights vanishing in the distance. However, retailing, and grocery retailing in particular is a highly labile sector. Not too many years ago, the positions of Coles and Woolworths were reversed, notes retail commentator Rob Lake.
Just you wait: invigorated Coles to turn up the heat
The easy ride for some retailers is about to end. Every company operating in a sector in which Coles is a player will soon feel the heat of an invigorated Coles, writes Rob Lake.
Wesfarmers looking strong as Coles’ options run out
As expected, Coles and Wesfarmers went into trading halt before the market opened this morning, pending an announcement, writes retail commentator Rob Lake.
Good prospects for Coles sale, but no private equity fairytale
While leverage and supply chain improvements may make the purchase of Coles at a price of around $17.00 per share an astute deal, it looks very unlikely to be anything like the private equity fairytale that Myer has become.
