Industry News

The Federal Government will mandate that businesses must accept cash when selling essential items such as fuel and groceries. Recent data shows that cash is the preferred method of payment for around 1.5 million Australians, and while 94 per cent of businesses accept cash, the Federal Government wants to ensure that there is an ongoing place for cash in society. In a joint statement Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services Stephen Jones said that treasury will commence consultation before the end of 2024 on which businesses supplying essential goods and services should be covered by the mandate. “The consultation will consider the needs of those who rely on cash, including people in regional areas and those unable to use digital payments, as well as the impact on businesses, particularly small businesses. “It will also cover what further steps are required to ensure the long-term and…

Metcash Limited officially opened its new mega Distribution Centre (DC) in Truganina, Victoria, earlier this month.  The facility represents a substantial investment by Metcash in further improving the competitiveness and relevance of the independent retail network in Victoria. Designed to meet Metcash’s growing wholesale volume needs in Victoria and across Australia, the new and more efficient 115,000 square metre facility provides the independent retail network with a wider range of products for customers across both its Food and Liquor pillars. The new DC will also benefit local suppliers by providing them with an efficient route to market via Metcash’s extensive distribution network. The ~$300m mega DC is the largest single-level DC in Australia, equivalent in size to approximately six MCGs or 12 soccer fields. It will service over 4,000 independent stores, premises, and wholesale customers in Victoria and will stock products from over 1,900 suppliers. The DC is on track to achieve…

Imagine a shopper browsing their favorite store. The shelves are well-stocked, the checkout lines are short and everything feels seamless. Behind the scenes, there’s a silent orchestra of technology managing inventory levels, monitoring customer traffic flows, collecting online orders and ensuring it all runs smoothly and securely. This is the future of retail, where AI and data-driven systems quietly work to optimize operations, improve customer experiences and protect margins. As retailers race toward this vision of the “store of the future,” they face a critical challenge: keeping their IT infrastructure up to speed with the demands of a new digital era. AI-powered technologies like Epic iO’s DeepInsights platform are delivered on edge management platforms like Dell NativeEdge to play a transformative role in retail, enabling retailers to use computer vision to gather flow analytics, uncover insights that improve store layouts, reduce checkout times and streamline customer experiences. “IT has traditionally been a…

The new bidder, Ito-Kogyo Co., is a private company affiliated with Junro Ito, Seven & i’s vice president and representative director. Dive Brief: Ito-Kogyo’s bid for Seven & i comes as the world’s largest c-store retailer resists a takeover attempt by Alimentation Couche-Tard, parent company of Circle K convenience stores. After rejecting a $39 billion bid in early September, Seven & i received a revised offer from Couche-Tard last month, which Bloomberg reported could be as high as $47 billion. Seven & i Holdings, parent of 7-Eleven, has received a buyout proposal from one of its executives along with one of its largest shareholders, the company announced on Wednesday. The shareholder, Ito-Kogyo Co., is a private company affiliated with Junro Ito, Seven & i’s vice president and representative director. Ito is also the son of Masatoshi Ito, founder of Seven & i’s Ito-Yokado supermarket chain. The buyout price was not disclosed, although Bloomberg reported it may be around $58…

The Accredited Distributors management and sales teams travelled to Brisbane for the Mondelez Cadbury conference. Craig Bain and Stuart Hobbs along with the management team spoke of the success of the company in 2024. Sales Rep of the Branch and the Overall Accredited Sales Rep of the Year were awarded at the annual event Albury Branch: Rep of the Year 2024 – Josh McDonald Bendigo Branch:Rep of the Year – Shane Dole Dandenong Branch:Rep of the Year – Rita Parra Geelong Branch Overall REP OF THE YEAR  Jack Magee Geelong Branch Kane Leeds from Snackbrands presented the winner of the Bali incentive at the dinner. Ledian Bytyqi from the Geelong Branch won the overall Bali Incentive. 2nd – Josh McDonald Albury3rd – Balu Vanteru Albury4th – Jack Magee Geelong5th – Jayme Lee Payne Geelong

Victorians have returned more containers than any other scheme in the country in the first year of the Allan Labor Government’s Container Deposit Scheme (CDS Vic) – with a billion containers saved from landfill and $100 million back in the pockets of Victorians and charities. Minister for Environment Steve Dimopoulos today celebrated the milestone on the one-year anniversary of the CDS Vic at the launch of a new display at Scienceworks that teaches students about the lifecycle of a bottle when returned through the scheme. Since the scheme started on 1 November last year, more than $950,000 has been raised for charities andcommunity groups thanks to the outstanding efforts of over 4,200 donation partners. Victorians are recycling an average of 145 containers per return, with more than 26 million containers deposited the week following the AFL Grand Final – the biggest week of returns on record. Before CDS Vic was…