ACCC proposes reforms to boost supermarket competition and fairness

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has concluded its probe into the supermarket industry, issuing 20 recommendations to heighten marketplace competition.

The enquiry revealed that ALDI, Coles and Woolworths fertile precocious successful profitability compared to planetary counterparts, with a noted emergence successful mean merchandise margins implicit the 5 fiscal years up to 2025.

The ACCC estimates that Woolworths holds 38% of the nationalist supermarket market market, Coles has 29%, ALDI accounts for 9% and Metcash, representing the autarkic supermarkets it supplies, has 7%.

The projected measures encompass initiatives specified arsenic implementing much transparent pricing strategies, expanding supplier transparency and modifying existing readying and zoning regulations.

These steps are intended to foster a much competitory scenery wrong the supermarket sector, payment consumers and supply suppliers with much equitable dialog terms.

ACCC lawman seat Mick Keogh stated: “In the past 12 months, the ACCC has heard from much than 20,000 consumers who responded to our user survey, received much than 100 nationalist submissions, held 8 supplier roundtables, reviewed tens of thousands of interior documents, conducted backstage hearings and 10 days of nationalist hearings, and analysed billions of points of supermarket data.” The 20 recommendations made successful the last study for the ACCC's supermarkets enquiry are:

It's indispensable for governments to research backing for locally-owned shops successful areas with constricted options, particularly those that are remote, portion ensuring due oversight.

It should beryllium mandatory for supermarkets to disclose their pricing data.

Legislative enactment is needed to tackle issues related to municipality readying and onshore usage regulation.

Supermarkets ought to conscionable baseline requirements for sharing accusation astir promotional discounts, on with maintaining records.

ACCC supports the consultation inaugural by the Australian authorities regarding amendments to the Unit Pricing Code.

There should beryllium an work for supermarkets to alert consumers erstwhile determination is simply a simplification successful merchandise size that negatively impacts them.

Coles and Woolworths request to periodically supply their loyalty programme members with summaries of their information practices.

Loyalty schemes should acquisition an valuation aft 3 years.

ACCC advocates for improved processes for handling user complaints successful isolated areas.

Supermarkets indispensable adhere to cardinal safeguards outlined successful the Food and Grocery Code without exception.

There is simply a request for uniformity successful standards for accreditation and auditing.