This Month
The $180m mall Woolies liked so much it bought it
Woolworths’ big buy in Sydney’s west shows the price it’s prepared to pay as it jostles with its rivals for the best position in suburbs across the nation.
- Campbell Kwan and Nick Lenaghan
November
- Updated
- Coles Supermarkets
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.
- Updated
- Carrie LaFrenz
Shoppers’ anger makes ‘Colesworth’ the word of the year
The language researchers who help compile Oxford University’s Australian dictionaries track the words that have gained prominence over the past 12 months.
- Sam Buckingham-Jones
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
The moment the ACCC boss put the heat on Woolies
The competition regulator is clearly sceptical about the way the supermarket giants use discounts, and whether the market is really competitive.
- James Thomson
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.
- Tom McIlroy and Carrie LaFrenz
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.
- Tom McIlroy
Fruit growers want Coles and Woolies to give them inside information
Fresh produce growers and industry groups want the supermarket giants to share more data from their checkout scanners, to improve supply chains.
- Tom McIlroy
October
Coles, Woolworths blame price hikes on suppliers
The two supermarket chains appeared in Federal Court on Wednesday to defend the case brought against them by the competition watchdog.
- Updated
- Carrie LaFrenz
Trade officials probe cheap Woolworths, Coles imported tomatoes
The investigation will assess whether Italian tinned home brand products sold in the supermarkets are being dumped at low prices to damage local growers.
- Simon Evans
Suppliers, pollies reject supermarket bid to shift blame
Both major parties have hit back at Coles and Woolworths while suppliers say shoppers are only paying a fraction of cost rises.
- Ronald Mizen and Angela Macdonald-Smith
Blame our suppliers for high prices, not us: Coles and Woolies
Woolworths says it has been inundated with requests from multinational suppliers to increase the price of thousands of products by more than 10 per cent.
- Michael Read and Carrie LaFrenz
Big-box chains not like Coles and Woolies, business warns MPs
Furniture giant IKEA says its business model did not allow deceptive price setting and it treats suppliers of live plants and food market items co-operatively.
- Tom McIlroy
September
Competition watchdog gets $30m boost for supermarket probe
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission will receive a $30 million funding boost to investigate misleading and deceptive pricing practices.
- Tom McIlroy
Keep Bunnings and Chemist Warehouse out of supermarket wars: industry
As Labor considers tough powers for retailers abusing market share or mistreating suppliers, the food sector has warned against expansion of a key code of conduct.
- Tom McIlroy
Fight or fold? Coles, Woolies face the angry shoppers they ‘fooled’
With its bombshell allegations this week the ACCC has given the big supermarkets two options, neither particularly palatable. Do they fight or do they fold?
- Patrick Durkin
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.
- Carrie LaFrenz and Tom McIlroy
Aldi the big winner from Woolworths and Coles price gouging backlash
Investment banks warn of huge penalties and reputational damage after the ACCC alleged the supermarkets advertised specials that were cheaper weeks earlier.
- Joshua Peach and Tom McIlroy
August
Bunnings faces grilling as Nats turn on ‘big-box’ retailers
Price-setting practices, land acquisitions and supplier relationships of major retail brands set to be scrutinised in a new Nationals-led Senate inquiry.
- Tom McIlroy
July
Starmer’s centre-right policies will not bring meaningful change
Readers’ letters on the shrinking centre of politics; harsh punishment in Queensland; Peter Dutton’s supermarkets plan; Victoria’s Suburban Rail Loop; and the ambiguity of Palestinian protesters.
- Opinion
- Letters to the Editor
Payman’s position on Gaza is ironic
Readers’ letters on Senator Fatima Payman; migration policy; breaking up supermarket giants; live sheep exports; the demise of coal; and the Downer kiss of death.