This Month
Calls for power to break up Coles and Woolies split inquiry
The ACCC should get new legal powers to prosecute supermarkets found to be engaging in price gouging, a parliamentary inquiry has recommended.
- Tom McIlroy and Carrie LaFrenz
Is Bonza a goner? Woolworths’ $8b crisis; Bizarre quantum theory
This week on the Chanticleer podcast, James and Anthony delve into Bonza’s crash landing, reveal the real cost of Woolworths’ PR crisis and answer a listener’s question about Australia’s whopper venture capital investment.
April
Woolworths launches $468m selldown in Endeavour; Jarden on ticket
It’s not the first time Woolworths has offloaded Endeavour Group stock since the grocer spun it off to the ASX boards.
- Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
How supermarket shoppers became part of a $3.8b gold rush
As supermarkets hunt for new sources of revenues in an age of rising costs and narrowing margins, they have stumbled on one of their most valuable assets: data.
- James Warrington
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Coles has a bit of a booze problem
While Coles’ supermarket sales are holding up well, a shock drop in its liquor division tells a story about the growing pain of interest rates.
- James Thomson
Coles wants suppliers’ help in cutting prices as shoppers seek deals
The supermarket chain’s sales rose 5.1 per cent in the third quarter but liquor sales fell as consumers cut spending by looking for cheaper alcohol options.
- Carrie LaFrenz
Aldi pays mega $420m dividend to offshore parent
Newly released accounts reveal the discount supermarket chain made a hefty capital return to Austrian company Hofer KG in 2023.
- Carrie LaFrenz
Woolies cuts prices in bid to catch Coles’ growth
A JPMorgan survey of private label products shows the supermarket giants are competing more aggressively on price, closing the gap with discount retailer Aldi.
- Carrie LaFrenz
Why the RBA won’t cut rates soon; Supermarket stoush; Misguided push for Australian made
This week, James and editor-in-chief Michael Stutchbury discuss the data the RBA will be mulling, examine how the supermarket inquiry turned nasty, and ask whether the Made in Australia push is doomed.
Super growers take on Woolies, Coles with private equity cash
Giant pension funds from Canada, Singapore and US private equity are behind super producers who account for half the $9.1 billion fruit and vegetable market. Bigger is better, and Australia is mirroring a global trend.
- Simon Evans and Carrie LaFrenz
- Opinion
- The AFR View
Greens’ supermarket inquiry a Canberra political freak show
Does anyone think the public interest was served by the back and forth over the best metric of Woolworths’ profitability and threatening Brad Banducci with six months in prison for contempt of parliament?
- The AFR View
How Amazon wasted a decade trying to reinvent the supermarket
The online shopping behemoth simply failed to make the technology cheaper than a conventional store.
- James Titcomb and Hannah Boland
- Opinion
- Australian economy
The dangers in using the wrong policy tools for the jobs
There are tangible costs and collateral damage when governments use the wrong instruments for the task at hand.
- Richard Holden
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
The Senate cage match that saw Woolies CEO threatened with jail
Brad Banducci and Greens senator Nick McKim played a brutal game of verbal tennis over Woolworths’ profitability.
- James Thomson
‘Labor taking Shoppies’ line’ to reject supermarket break-up powers
The Retail and Fast Food Workers Union, which styles itself as a “grassroots” alternative to the “Catholic, right-wing” Shoppies union, supports divestiture.
- Tom McIlroy
- Opinion
- Opinion
Emerson review has no evidence to support mandatory supermarket code
Amazon and Bunnings aren’t covered because consumers love them. That shows it is all about political cover to bash Coles and Woolworths for inflation.
- Robert Hadler
‘Category killers’ intensify supermarket competition
The market share of Coles and Woolworths is being fragmented as more shoppers move to online rivals including Amazon, Temu and Shein for household staples.
- Tom McIlroy and Simon Evans
- Opinion
- Opinion
Political brawls sweep the supermarket aisles
Supermarkets are once again an appealing target for politicians wanting to demonstrate their good intentions on helping consumers with cost-of-living pressures.
- Updated
- Jennifer Hewett
Woolworths partners with Tesco on $190m start-up investment fund
The global fund will be run from Sydney and counts retailer chains from Europe, Canada and South Africa among its investors.
- Nick Bonyhady
Bunnings may be caught by tougher grocery code
The hardware giant controls 70 per cent of the retail horticulture market, more than Woolworths’ and Coles’ 65 per cent share of supermarkets, prompting suppliers to raise concerns about its buyer power.
- Ronald Mizen