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This is a long read, but if you are at all concerned about the future of Aussie Farmers and the small to medium retail industry, it is worth spending the time to read all of this story.
Supermarket monsters | The Monthly
Disclaimer - I have nothing to do with this story, and I don't know the author. It was just emailed to my business by another concerned retailer.
Unfortunately, apart from the specific statistics I knew most the that.
I don't really know how this predatory form of doing business can be stopped. It seems strange that most can see what is going on yet, seem powerless and or unwilling to deal with it. I am not for one moment suggesting that uneconomical, inefficient or unwanted products/businesses deserve our support but something certainly needs to be done about the current practices.
Our politicians appear to be unseeing or unwilling to address the problem. Most seem to say we can see what is going on but don't seem prepared to do anything about it.
We all seem to know what the problem is so who/how do we solve it?
Thanks for posting that Ironwood, it is disturbing reading and kind of ties in with another thread running here about random petrol pricing. Bob38s, according to the article, the pollies like it because Coles & Woolies can successfully argue that food prices prices are kept down. It's not until that begins to hurt will they get involved. It seems there are not enough votes in supporting the farmer. I wonder what Barnaby Joyce is doing about this.
It looks like Aldi is going all right though, they seem to be opening stores every where. I don't mind some of their "German" products.
TT
In my area, Woolworths have put in supermarkets across the district giving them a monopoly on the area, their latest store and service station which opened just a few months ago has had a very detrimental effect on long established local businesses, rumours are that one corner store is about to close its doors.
Most people that I talk to are aware and seem concerned about what is happening to anyone trying to compete for business against the big shop, but at the end of the day the big store seems to be winning the battle.
As far as the government goes, I don't see them doing anything to try and stop what is going on. I think the big 2 have the momentum up now and will just keep going until they have it all.
I have noticed in the woolies that I buy most of my groceries from, many of the brand-name products have been disappearing off the shelves being replaced with Select and Homebrand products. In the pasta aisle I think we are down to one brand besides woolies own :C. I refuse to buy any Select or Homebrand products, but the choices are getting less and less.
A few times lately I have driven 15km to a new IGA that has opened, it is refreshing to walk down the aisles and see all the old familiar brand names that have disappeared from the shelves in my local Woolies.