NewsBite

ACCC

Today

Anthony Albanese during a doorstop interview in Downer, ACT, yesterday.

‘Stop taking the piss off consumers’, PM warns Coles and Woolworths

The supermarkets could be required to demonstrate a reasonable link between the wholesale cost of food and grocery products and the price charged to the public.

Taz De Silva with his Kia EV6, in Canberra.

His EV shut down while he was driving. Getting it fixed was worse

A recall of thousands of Kia and Hyundai electric vehicles has one angry owner asking how long is too long for a repair with no refund or compensation.

Yesterday

Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, John McLean, CEO of Bundaberg Brewed Drinks, and Labor candidate for Hinkler, Trish Mears, during a visit to Bundaberg Brewed Drinks, in Bundaberg.

Labor pledges to crack down on supermarket price gouging

The Albanese government will add new price gouging protections to the country’s competition laws if it wins the May 3 election.

This Month

Virgin and Qatar have cleared the final hurdle to take off on new flights in June.

ACCC greenlights Virgin-Qatar deal, frequent flyer partners cut back

The competition watchdog has approved the tie-up, but questions remain over whether consumers have been dudded by the exclusivity clause.

The ACCC says gas exporters should be encouraged to prioritise domestic supply.

Record winter gas shortfall is coming: ACCC

Ensuring Queensland’s LNG exporters divert unsold gas to the local market will be critical to avoid supply shocks, the watchdog said.

Advertisement
National Farmers’ Federation president David Jochinke.

Fresh produce suppliers copping downside of power imbalance: ACCC

The National Farmers’ Federation says claims by fresh food producers that Coles and Woolworths have the upper hand been validated by the competition regulator.

The ACCC’s underwhelming report conceded that the supermarket market domination would continue for the foreseeable future.

Supermarket inquiry ends not with a bang but a whimper

Instead of wagging fingers at the big chains for the economic challenges, politicians must get serious about tackling some of the underlying causes of inflation.

The ACCC has found that Coles and Woolworths are some of the most profitable supermarkets in the world.

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.

xx

Supermarkets hit back; Yellen slams Musk; Viktor Shvets’ Trump tips

Read everything that’s happened in the news so far today.

Gina Cass-Gottlieb’s extensive look at the supermarket sector won’t change the underlying competitiveness of the market.

Why the ACCC can’t limit Coles and Woolies’ power

The two supermarkets will cop more scrutiny on their practices and globally impressive margins, but their long-term market position and power will stay intact.

After a 12-month inquiry, the ACCC has not come up with any smoking gun to support claims that supermarket price gouging is to blame for the inflationary cost-of-living squeeze.

ACCC fails to find smoking gun on supermarket price-gouging

After a 12-month inquiry, the regulator has not been able to support claims that Coles and Woolworths are to blame for the inflationary cost-of-living squeeze.

Woolworths and Coles account for 67 per cent of all supermarket sales and have increased their market share over the period since the previous ACCC review of the sector in 2008.

Why Aussie consumers are losing the supermarket wars

While there is no silver bullet, the ACCC has some recommendations to improve competition in the sector.

Gina Cass-Gottlieb is the ACCC chairwoman. The regulator wants major changes to how supermarkets Coles and Woolworths display prices.

Woolworths, Coles among world’s most profitable supermarkets: ACCC

But the regulator, after a year-long investigation, concedes little can be done about their market dominance.

Less passengers are travelling through airports than before COVID-19 but airports are reporting record aeronautical revenue.

Airport ‘super profits’ back as revenue hits record

Australia’s biggest airports were flush in 2023-34 despite the number of travellers remaining below pre-pandemic levels.

New chief Stephen Rue says making sure the Optus network is resilient and secure will be a priority.

Optus has had some horror years, but its new CEO is taking on Telstra

From overhauling the books at Melbourne Storm to war gaming the impact of COVID-19 on the NBN, Stephen Rue is a solutions guy. Optus is his next big challenge.

Advertisement
Deals blowing up is the last thing anyone with any M&A plans want to see.

Australia’s top deal blocker strikes again, target’s shares drop 25pc

In case a market correction and nervous directors are not enough to stall M&A activity, the competition regulator is back in action.

Silk Logistics’ shares tumbled after the ACCC said it would scrutinise the company’s proposed sale to stevedore DP World Australia.

ACCC warning on DP World’s $174m takeover sends Silk shares diving

The purchase of the ASX-listed warehousing and port services group by the global stevedore could lessen competition and send the price of goods higher.

ACCC chairwoman Gina Cass-Gottlieb.

Goalposts shifting as Chalmers’ new merger control regime looms

For dealmakers, every decision now feels like a roll of the dice, uncertain and unpredictable, carrying the risk of landing back where they started.

The oil price trickles lower and strategists reckon Donald Trump will do what he can to keep it going that way.

The Trump slump that could be good for Australia’s war on rising costs

While the RBA is worried global tariffs could hit Australia’s economy, commodities strategists say the oil price will keep sinking. That’s important.

‘Too small to fail’: Small banks push for subsidies

Customer-owned banks have told the Council of Financial Regulators they may need credit rating support, debt guarantees and government subsidies to survive.

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/australian-competition-and-consumer-commission-jl6