Big chain supermarkets

[roKWiz]

From reading other threads here, it got me thinking how in the past companies like Coles and Woolworth used to sell name brand goods which were usually "made in Australia" and buying imported food was considered something of a luxury.

Then came the discounted own brands like No frill, Cole own brand and Woolies Home brand.
At the time the whole exercise was to bring us cheap affordable locally sourced foods or so we all thought. Looking back now in the grand scheme of this I can see they set themselves up to control the food industry, gradually swapping country of manufacturer to offshore.
As the no name brands flourished the prices steadily climbed, all at the same time the supermarkets were replacing the name brands with their own varieties.
These days most of the supermarket chains have their own high priced products taking most of the space and deleting the competition.

So here we are now in 2023 with less choice of food we can buy, less choice of where it is sourced and what's left of the local manufacturing/processing industry trying to negotiate and compete on a fair selling point.

Next time you venture down the isles of the big 2 have a good look at where this stuff comes from and who's name is on the label.

Thoughts....??

[DJM83]

Support ya locals. That's my thoughts.
It's been going on for years. 'own brand' products coming from OS.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by DJM83

Support ya locals. That's my thoughts.
It's been going on for years. 'own brand' products coming from OS.

DJM, agree, the no name undercutting has been going on for years, now we are at a point where most of their store is full of "Homebrand" goods but at the locally produced competitors price.

Really show you how conditioning works.

[Franco Cozzo]

Would be nice if local producers could get their goods direct to the consumer in smaller quantities, without needing to rely on a duopoly.

If they could get the distribution down they'd be able to make more money on their produce while consumers pay less for it rather than Woolworths Safeway/Coles screwing both the producer and the customer.





Made in Australia from 0% Australian ingredients, it's just like my parents

[FTE217]

alot of our own made brands got sold off as well.
I know my wife tries her best looking for Oz made product but the trouble is also time.
You going to 2/3 even 4 sources depending the items of need diets/pallets and importantly quality.
When in a rush I expect most just jump into the first place that has ease of parking and source even though its not the usual brand you'd buy as well.
Yer very wrong Own branding when its most imported.
Seafood I make sure we always buy Aussie - prawns especially bugger the imports but it get exxy at times.
This is the big prob, price.

Another challenge we have is "gluten free" lines.
I've justed emailed a company that quotes Australias Gluten Free shop, asking how many of their items are actually Oz made and if so please provide the list.
Be curious once they send the reply.

[simon varley]

no different to our car industry the sad truth is that the vast majority of people don't care, and just want the cheapest they can buy.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by simon varley

no different to our car industry the sad truth is that the vast majority of people don't care, and just want the cheapest they can buy.

Yes we all know how busy everyone says they are.
My point is homebranding is no longer cheaper and is in the majority in those 2 stores. Aldi for instance has never advertised as a "brands" store and sold their own line. (cheaper)
Where as Woolie / Coles often bitched about the Aldi model yet this what they are now doing but without the lower prices.

Laugh at Franco's picture.

Personally do all the shopping myself at IGA and local stores only, so its easy to find proper made in Oz stuff.

Thing I'll look for is the company address on the label like Franco's example.
If it's something like Macquarie st $ydney they are usually middle men.

Same at country markets, usually wander to look at the trucks parked behind to see where what the name on the door say come from a big city, nah middle men flogging stuff that's from the country goes to the city and re sold back out here.

[FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0]

I always try and buy the aussie grown/produced product when I shop. Most of my goods are from Woolworths (or Safeway for Franco's benefit )

I'm finding that a larger percentage of the no name stuff is made in Australia compared to the branded stuff. A couple of quick examples off the top of my head:

• Aioli - the Woolies brand is made in Aus from 89% Aus ingredients. Apart from the light stuff, all the branded items are made from overseas product.
• Frozen mixed veg (peas, corn, carrot) - The Woolies brand is all aussie product. The named brands (McCain, Birdseye etc) either contain overseas sourced product or are stated as being packed in New Zealand. With New Zealnd's packaging laws this means the product could very well be coming from other places like Vietnam or China.

I've been thinking about starting up an Aussie product thread where we could all share tips about aussie made products that we've found. Try finding an aussie made toothpaste in your supermarket for example! If there's enough interest, I'll kick that off.

[T3rminator]

I get my rump from KFL, small local asian grocery chain, $18/kg. Sourced from Australian farms. In fact, most of their fresh produce are sourced local. Red and white grapes $1.99/kg. Amazing. Not sure where the ones in colesworth come from but at 26/kg for the steak and $5/kg for grapes, as a comparison, I don't even look.

We are being ripped by the big chains. Local produce shouldn't be so expensive.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0

I always try and buy the aussie grown/produced product when I shop. Most of my goods are from Woolworths (or Safeway for Franco's benefit )

I'm finding that a larger percentage of the no name stuff is made in Australia compared to the branded stuff. A couple of quick examples off the top of my head:

• Aioli - the Woolies brand is made in Aus from 89% Aus ingredients. Apart from the light stuff, all the branded items are made from overseas product.
• Frozen mixed veg (peas, corn, carrot) - The Woolies brand is all aussie product. The named brands (McCain, Birdseye etc) either contain overseas sourced product or are stated as being packed in New Zealand. With New Zealnd's packaging laws this means the product could very well be coming from other places like Vietnam or China.

I've been thinking about starting up an Aussie product thread where we could all share tips about aussie made products that we've found. Try finding an aussie made toothpaste in your supermarket for example! If there's enough interest, I'll kick that off.

Depends on what you are buying would be my point. Ok my examples would be to counter, Buy Aioli locally 15km up the road so that doesn't enter into it. You know the Shepparton Packing Company sell local corn, pees and carrot freshly tinned not frozen.

[FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

Depends on what you are buying would be my point. Ok my examples would be to counter, Buy Aioli locally 15km up the road so that doesn't enter into it. You know the Shepparton Packing Company sell local corn, pees and carrot freshly tinned not frozen.

If I knew where I could get locally made aioli 15km up the road form me, I'd get it, but I'm not aware of anywhere near me that does this. Of course, I could always buy the local ingredients and make my own, but it's not a high enough priority for me.

Yep, I know that SPC sell canned local product, but with volumes I consume, I find that I end up throwing out more from the opened can than I consume. Doesn't seem like a sustainable approach to me (and I HATE wasting otherwise perfectly good food when there's so many people who can't even afford to feed themselves properly). Frozen is a good option for me and buying a locally sourced product is a good compromise. Not to say that it suits everyone, but it works best for me.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0

If I knew where I could get locally made aioli 15km up the road form me, I'd get it, but I'm not aware of anywhere near me that does this. Of course, I could always buy the local ingredients and make my own, but it's not a high enough priority for me.

Yep, I know that SPC sell canned local product, but with volumes I consume, I find that I end up throwing out more from the opened can than I consume. Doesn't seem like a sustainable approach to me (and I HATE wasting otherwise perfectly good food when there's so many people who can't even afford to feed themselves properly). Frozen is a good option for me and buying a locally sourced product is a good compromise. Not to say that it suits everyone, but it works best for me.

Just a point I was making that no one gives a ..........SPC do can smaller tins too.
Personally I like to buy fresh in season on demand not tinned or frozen but that's just me.

[DJM83]

If i had a product, theres no way id want it in Coles/Woolworths.
Get it in there, then they screw you on price. Id be getting it into the independents like IGA and stuff. The big 2 are just too much of a hassle to 1, get in. 2 Get reasonable return.
Thats why you see so many local* products in stores that in most instances never stay in the range.
Another reason for this is most of the smaller business' cannot afford to pay for the shelf space. So they get a rubbish location in the range layout and no one can see it.

*local as in most of the smaller local products are only ranged to the stores in the nearby area.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0

I've been thinking about starting up an Aussie product thread where we could all share tips about aussie made products that we've found. Try finding an aussie made toothpaste in your supermarket for example! If there's enough interest, I'll kick that off.

I thought there was an Aussie made thread somewhere otherwise feel free to get it started here. Mods can change the heading.

[danzvtil]

Home brands used to be the cheap end of the market. Coles worth have spent the last 10years moving their home offer upmarket. They don’t care if you love CSR sugar, they make more margin contracting out coles brand sugar to the same factory.
Any foodland or drakes looks like a continental store nowadays, when that’s how all supermarkets used to look with known brands.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by danzvtil

Home brands used to be the cheap end of the market. Coles worth have spent the last 10years moving their home offer upmarket. They don’t care if you love CSR sugar, they make more margin contracting out coles brand sugar to the same factory.
Any foodland or drakes looks like a continental store nowadays, when that’s how all supermarkets used to look with known brands.

Good example of that is Bunderberg raw sugar Woolworth's deleted as did Coles, IGA is the only one who sells this Aussie brand and cheaper anyway.

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by danzvtil

Home brands used to be the cheap end of the market. Coles worth have spent the last 10years moving their home offer upmarket. They don’t care if you love CSR sugar, they make more margin contracting out coles brand sugar to the same factory.
Any foodland or drakes looks like a continental store nowadays, when that’s how all supermarkets used to look with known brands.

Because at the POS theres SFA money in it. Well there wasnt.
I remember 15/20 odd years ago, many Homebrand products were sold at a loss.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

Good example of that is Bunderberg raw sugar Woolworth's deleted as did Coles, IGA is the only one who sells this Aussie brand and cheaper anyway.

They keep the other Aussie brand CSR. It's possible that the markup is more on CSR than it was on Bundy.

[CoupeKing]

Get your shooters or fishing license.
Learn to grow your own food.
Purchase with cash when you can.
Don't use automated checkouts.
Read books.

I remember a couple years ago I needed to withdraw over 1k so I went into the bank and explained my story. She told me next time you can withdraw that amount and more from an ATM. I told her I'd rather come in and keep you in a job and she said '' I've been hearing this for the last 20 years ''... I quickly replied that's why you're working on your own and all those other 6 check-outs are empty.

You should have seen the bemused look on her face. 20 years in her own job and still doesn't get it.

[b0son]

It amazes me that not only do we have a duopoly, but they are also allowed to peddle their own brands. ACCC must surely be asleep at the wheel.

[T3rminator]

Originally Posted by b0son

It amazes me that not only do we have a duopoly, but they are also allowed to peddle their own brands. ACCC must surely be asleep at the wheel.

Its normal, surprised we don't see more of it here. I spent some time working for a big supermarket in the UK. The margin on branded products were really really small. Employees got 10% off groceries, and basically they made a loss if we bought branded products.

Own brand products however, they made a 50% margin. Came from the same manufacturers and factories as the branded stuff most of the time, but just a bit lower quality e.g. smoked salmon, the branded got prime cuts nicely sliced, whereas own brand may have had some off cuts or maybe some slices that weren't sliced to perfection, all came from the same factory, that kind of stuff. The prices for own brand stuff was typically 30-40% cheaper. It got a lot of people through the GFC austerity measures at the time. Own brands are awesome if done right, everyone wins, company makes better margins, and people who want a cheaper but slightly lower "quality" product were able to do so. Brands never really complained either, cos there were enough toffs who wanted the high end stuff.

[b0son]

Originally Posted by T3rminator

Own brands are awesome if done right, everyone wins, company makes better margins, and people who want a cheaper but slightly lower "quality" product were able to do so.

Except that isnt the way it's done here. I used to buy a particular brand of OJ. One day, the home brand OJ appeared next to it. The only difference was the label, but it was obviously the same stuff. And 30% cheaper. Wasnt long before the name brand had a tiny amount of shelf space and the home brand dominated. A few years later, the home brand was no longer made from aussie ingredients, it was made from imports. Because that's the thing about home brands... they're only viable for the producer if the grocer is still buying the profitable name brand. The home brand stuff is made at near cost, and that product alone isnt sustainable for the producer. But the grocer's got deep pockets and an eye on the long game. They dont care about the local producer.

As for slightly lower quality. There was a name brand canneloni meal. Was great. Coles brings out their home brand canneloni. It was an abomination, a bit cheaper, but not so much cheaper it was comparable to the rubbish quality. Not long after, the name brand was gone, and only the home brand was sold.

Consiering the dubious conduct our duopoly has been engaged in for the last 2 decades, they simply cant be trusted to do the right thing by consumers. If they're going to be allowed to sell home brands, then there should be a local content quota much as there is in the ****ty TV shows we watch. Food security will only continue to become a more and more important issue, and once we become dependent on imports, there's no going back.

[Interceptor]

I regularly eat canned fruit, and I've noticed that the Woolworths branded product is Australian made, whilst the Coles branded stuff comes from china, and funnily enough, there is a noticable difference in taste between the two

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by Interceptor

I regularly eat canned fruit, and I've noticed that the Woolworths branded product is Australian made, whilst the Coles branded stuff comes from china, and funnily enough, there is a noticable difference in taste between the two

I wonder for how much longer it will be without following their competitor.

[rare ss]

We have Spudshed in WA, started buying fruit and vege from them once out local market stall guy sold up and his stall shut down

But saying that we're buying more stuff from them now over Colesworthes

[T3rminator]

Originally Posted by b0son

Except that isnt the way it's done here. I used to buy a particular brand of OJ. One day, the home brand OJ appeared next to it. The only difference was the label, but it was obviously the same stuff. And 30% cheaper. Wasnt long before the name brand had a tiny amount of shelf space and the home brand dominated. A few years later, the home brand was no longer made from aussie ingredients, it was made from imports.

Yikes, admittedly I don't spend a lot of time in supermarkets these days, usually in and out in 5 minutes, so haven't noticed these kind of tactics.

So Colesworth is screwing all tiers then, the suppliers, middlemen and consumers. I guess thats the price we pay for being small, no one wants to invest and start up competition against the big 2 in any meaningful way because the ROI isn't there.

Going back to Aussie made, I still can't wrap my head around why local fresh produce have a premium on the price. You go to the farmers markets, there is a big premium on staple goods. You go to the stand alone butchers and fruit & veg shops out in whoop whoop, and more often its more expensive than the supermarkets. How can that be? $9 for a loaf of country baked bread! Eeeek! With the recession coming, these shops won't be able to compete.

[b0son]

Originally Posted by T3rminator

You go to the farmers markets, there is a big premium on staple goods.

It isnt mums and dads looking for bargains for the family at the markets anymore. Its the hipster foodies who carry on like they're masterchef judges. They've driven up the price. The same generation who are willing to wildly overpay for anything simply so they can take a pic of it for their instagram.

You go to the stand alone butchers and fruit & veg shops out in whoop whoop, and more often its more expensive than the supermarkets. How can that be?

Coles and WW buy cheap, so whatever left over stock they have for other suppliers, they sell at a premium (can you blame them). And commercial rent, especially in shopping centres, is absurd these days.

[Charliewool]

The very reason your local butcher can’t compete with the corporates is 3 letters!
JBS
The virtual monopoly this Brazilian behemoth has in Australia is criminal.

https://amp.abc.net.au/article/100997044

https://au.news.yahoo.com/amphtml/wo...070702288.html

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by T3rminator

You go to the farmers markets, there is a big premium on staple goods. You go to the stand alone butchers and fruit & veg shops out in whoop whoop, and more often its more expensive than the supermarkets. How can that be? $9 for a loaf of country baked bread! Eeeek! With the recession coming, these shops won't be able to compete.

Usually country markets are well priced from local growers, I would much rather buy a fresh apple from say for example, Snowline fruits here in Beechworth knowing its been picked in the last few days than buying a half price 1 year old stored Woolies one.
As Boson reply says it's the beardy weirdy mob driving up the market stalls prices.
Can you remember the organisation like the CWA and quality cakes they would sell at the local markets. Now its all craft beer, $2 Chinese junk and Emma's fairy cake stalls trying to infiltrate country markets.

And as previously mentioned have a quick look at the trucks parked behind the markets to see where some of these stall holders have come from. Some drive from cities or far and beyond to flog their wares, me I buy from locals within the North East or whatever local sellers depending my location at the time.
As for butcher shop quality and price it doesn't compare to crappy supermarket cryovac packaged stuff.

[T3rminator]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

Usually country markets are well priced from local growers, I would much rather buy a fresh apple from say for example, Snowline fruits here in Beechworth knowing its been picked in the last few days than buying a half price 1 year old stored Woolies one.
As Boson reply says it's the beardy weirdy mob driving up the market stalls prices.
Can you remember the organisation like the CWA and quality cakes they would sell at the local markets. Now its all craft beer, $2 Chinese junk and Emma's fairy cake stalls trying to infiltrate country markets.

And as previously mentioned have a quick look at the trucks parked behind the markets to see where some of these stall holders have come from. Some drive from cities or far and beyond to flog their wares, me I buy from locals within the North East or whatever local sellers depending my location at the time.
As for butcher shop quality and price it doesn't compare to crappy supermarket cryovac packaged stuff.

Yeh have noticed a few of these. You pick up a jar of jam and its made in a region no where close to the where the farmer's market is. What a shame.

Apples, I get my apples from along the great southern rail trail. Free and fresh. And its apples that actually taste like apples!!