April
Aldi shows its discount appeal with sharp rise in profit
The German discount supermarket chain has paid out billions of dollars in dividends to its parent group Hofer KG in Austria.
More shoppers say Coles (not Woolworths) is their main supermarket
A survey conducted for UBS clients suggests the smaller grocery retailer is increasingly central to consumers as higher living costs strain household budgets.
March
Woolworths slashes prices to close gap on Aldi
The under fire supermarkets are looking to show shoppers and politicians consumers are getting better deals at the checkout.
New Zealand eyes breaking its supermarket duopoly
The local unit of Woolworths and Foodstuffs New Zealand have a stranglehold on the grocery sector, which has been blamed for high prices.
Woolworths, Coles warn more red tape means higher grocery prices
Disputing the ACCC’s findings that they have oversized profitability, the supermarket giants say increased costs will be passed onto shoppers.
Brokers expect Woolworths to tip $200m into lower supermarket prices
The country’s biggest grocery retailer said it expected to cut $400 million in costs this year, but has yet to detail how it will use those savings.
November 2024
Coles says focusing only on low prices sent customers away
Appearing at a competition inquiry, chief executive Leah Weckert says experience has shown shoppers want more than just cheap products.
Inside the two weeks from hell for the country’s biggest supermarkets
This week, Woolworths chief executive Amanda Bardwell and Coles’ Leah Weckert will have a chance to tell their side of the story in hearings run by the ACCC.
Coles chairman says cost of living has been ‘politicised’
James Graham told the comapny’s AGM that supermarkets are being targeted unfairly by politicians.
Aldi proves populism won’t cut grocery prices
Breaking up Coles and Woolworths makes for a populist soundbite, but Aldi’s evidence at the ACCC supermarket inquiry suggests it wouldn’t drive grocery prices down.
Why Aldi isn’t expanding into online groceries
The discount retailer has explained how it keeps costs down for consumers, including through employing fewer staff and asking shoppers to pack their own groceries.
Red flag over Choice’s taxpayer-funded grocery price watch
The consumer advocacy group has overstated the difference in prices between the big supermarkets and discount store Aldi, a Wall Street investment bank says.
October 2024
Buying below replacement cost can bolster property investment returns
The owners of assets bought below replacement cost do not need to seek outsized rents to cover the financing, which can help secure stable tenants.
Europe likens probe into cheap tomato exports to Beijing trade wars
Australian officials have this month begun an inquiry into whether Italian groups are dumping products sold as Coles, Woolworths and Aldi home brands.
September 2024
Supermarket pile-on is going to cause real harm
If the supermarkets are guilty, then throw the book at them. But it’s populist politics that is really at work here.
Woolworths and Coles could be ‘innocent’: Samuel
Graeme Samuel says the higher prices charged by the two major supermarkets could have been caused by suppliers, as the ACCC found the retailers have increased their earnings and operating margins over the past five years.
These three charts show how Coles is outperforming Woolworths
The country’s second-largest supermarket chain is doing better than its bigger rival – from more stock on shelves to lower theft and better value. Here’s why.
July 2024
Why you can’t order online from Aldi anytime soon
The German discount supermarket had been investigating internet sales, which is a space that its rivals Woolworths and Coles have aggressively expanded into.
Supplier survey suggests Coles has outperformed Woolworths all year
Ahead of financial updates from the major supermarkets next month, suppliers say Coles and Aldi are picking up market share over their rivals, small and large.
June 2024
Why this is a practical, workable supermarket code of conduct
The new code offers the best of both a mandatory and voluntary system of compliance for the supermarket giants.