Industry News

Terry McCrann July 24, 2012 Herald Sun WOOLWORTHS CEO Grant O’Brien has challenged his political and regulatory masters to look to the future and not to the past, in their approach to his company, to supermarkets and the retail industry overall. In doing so he has also very directly challenged himself on the same basis, as he has to grow Woolies into that uncertain and increasingly volatile future. That’d be a tough ask at the best of times for a company with $55 billion of sales in the latest year — well over $2000 for every single Australian, easily the biggest in Australia and more than double those of Telstra. Just to grow at a pretty modest 5-6 per cent a year requires Woolies to add the equivalent of a Myer, Australia’s biggest pure department store chain, to its sales base every year. And these are not the best of…

July 24, 2012 The Age Online shopping is expected to make up 6.3 per cent of total retail sales by the end of the year as more than half of Australian consumers purchase goods on the web, a survey shows. The PwC and Frost and Sullivan Global Retail and Consumer report shows a record 53 per cent of Australian consumers aged above 15 years are now buying online. Online shopping growth was likely to be stimulated by the entry of more online retailers, manufacturers communicating directly with consumers, more product expansion and the growth of mobile commerce. The report predicted clothing, footwear, jewellery and fashion accessories would enjoy the most growth over the next five years. PwC Global retail & consumer advisory leader Stuart Harker said online shopping was now mainstream and Australian retailers were under significant pressure to reset their business models. “Like retailers in the US and UK…

July 23, 2012 MICHAEL M. GRYNBAUM Claims of tyranny. Calls for more freedom. And a banner with a Statue of Liberty-like figure triumphantly holding aloft a large soda cup, complete with straw. The American soft-drink industry arrived at City Hall on Monday to protest the Bloomberg administration’s proposed restrictions on sales of big sugary drinks. While appeals to populism and patriotism were rampant, the topic of obesity received only an occasional mention. The industry, which has a reputation for deep pockets and aggressive lobbying, has been collecting petitions and running radio advertisements against the plan, which is to be discussed on Tuesday at a public hearing by the New York City Board of Health. The hearing is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. at the headquarters of the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in Long Island City, Queens. A vote is expected in September. At the rally on…

July 24, 2012 The Age PayPal wants to let shoppers use its service when buying in-store in Australia. The battle for the consumer wallet is set to intensify with global payment behemoth PayPal eyeing partnerships with local offline retailers. PayPal is in talks with a handful of large Australian retailers about introducing its pay-anywhere technology, which would blend online, mobile and in-store buying through a single customer identity and account. The e-payment option available through an app for Android and iPhones, would allow customers to bypass eftpos machines and credit card companies at point of sale, paying directly from their PayPal account. The eBay-owned company would not name the Australian retailers but said they were household names. The US-based company recently inked a deal to provide pay-anywhere services to 15 large US retailers including Toys R Us, Home Depot, Foot Locker and Nine West. “We are in talks with them…

Jul 24, 2012 CSNews WASHINGTON, D.C. — Lawmakers are banding together to bring common sense to the federal menu labeling laws, which the convenience store industry has been fighting. Congressman John Carter (R-Texas) was joined this afternoon by fellow Texas representatives, Congressmen Henry Cuellar (D) and Ruben Hinojosa (D), at a press conference to introduce the Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act of 2012. Representatives from the convenience store, grocery and pizza industries, as well as small business owners, joined the bi-partisan contingent to show their support. In addition to the three Texas legislators, a bipartisan mix of House members from Washington State, Arkansas, California, Wisconsin, Utah and Missouri, Georgia and Ohio are backing the legislation. The proposed bill is in response to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) regulations regarding calorie labeling on menus and menu boards in chain restaurants and food establishments, and on vending machines. Currently, FDA rules…

Adele Ferguson and Carolyn Cummins July 25, 2012 The Age THE big supermarkets’ battle for a larger slice of the consumer dollar is set to spill into pubs and poker machines after grocery wholesaler Metcash, which operates the IGA chain, is believed to have hired a broker to identify venues and hotels. It follows a $375 million-plus equity raising launched by Metcash last month and a strategic review that includes slashing 500 staff, cutting debt and identifying bolt-on acquisitions. BusinessDay understands that up to $90 million could be allocated to bolt-on acquisitions, including pubs and poker machines, as pressure mounts on Metcash to revive earnings as the price war between Coles and Woolworths heats up. Metcash is said to be close to exchanging contracts on the leasehold of three Queensland pubs, with one suggested to be the Aspley Hotel. It is understood that Metcash does not want to own the…