Industry News

Bianca Hall October 18, 2019 The Age The Victorian government has rushed through a ban on advertisements for vaping in time for next weekend’s Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix at Phillip Island. The ban comes after The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald revealed that cigarette makers Philip Morris and British American Tobacco (BAT) had signed deals with Ferrari and McLaren to advertise vaping and other products at the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix and other motor sport events. The deals raised fears Big Tobacco was seeking to flout bans on tobacco advertising in motor sport events. On Friday morning, Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said the tightened laws would stop tobacco giants using “sneaky tactics” to get around Victorian laws. “These important changes will stop tobacco giants from misleading Victorians and putting lives at risk – and they’ll be in place in time for the 2019 Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix,” she…

Gabrielle Fonrouge October 17, 2019 New York Post E-cigarette behemoth Juul stopped selling all fruity flavored products nationwide on Thursday, amid a burgeoning vaping health crisis that’s claimed dozens of lives and left thousands sickened,  the company announced. As of 12:55 p.m., users were no longer able to purchase vape pods that taste like mango and fruit — along with  flavors such as creme brulee and cucumber. Vapers will only be able to buy products that taste like tobacco, menthol and mint, the San Francisco-based company said. “We must reset the vapor category by earning the trust of society and working cooperatively with regulators, policymakers, and stakeholders to combat underage use while providing an alternative to adult smokers,” Juul’s new CEO K.C. Crosthwaite said in a statement. The ban on sales will span at least until the Food and Drug Administration completes a safety review of the products, Juul said.…

Sue Mitchell Senior Reporter Oct 17, 2019 AFR Coles chief executive Steven Cain has defended the retailer’s $150 million partnership with UK online grocery retailer Ocado amid claims its centralised fulfilment model is inferior to the micro-fulfilment model adopted by Woolworths. When Coles signed a long-term deal with Ocado in March Mr Cain said he expected the partnership, which includes a new website and two automated centralised fulfilment centres, would boost online sales by about $1 billion, double its home-delivery capacity, reduce cost-to-serve and lead to improved profit margins for Coles Online. However, in a report last week, US investment bank Jefferies said the micro-fulfilment model – small fulfilment centres close to or inside supermarkets in urban areas – was the most profitable way to serve customers. “We view micro-fulfilment centres (MFCs) as the most viable/economical answer to online fulfilment … as it is relatively easy to deploy (low cost,…

Jenny Noyes October 17, 2019 The Age The ACCC’s analysis of 2018 petrol prices found it’s worth shopping around, with independent chains proving significantly cheaper.  Coles Express is Australia’s most expensive petrol retailer across five capital cities, according to an ACCC analysis of 2018 prices that found it is worth shopping around and seeking out independents for a better deal. The petrol prices report released on Thursday looked at monthly and annual average retail petrol prices in 2018 to identify the highest and lowest priced (on average) major retailers of petrol in each of the capital cities in Australia. Coles Express was the highest priced major retailer in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. In the same five cities, independent retailers were the cheapest: Speedway in Sydney, United in Melbourne and Brisbane, Liberty in Adelaide and Vibe in Perth. Of the remaining retailers, Woolworths and 7-Eleven were found to be…

Danielle Romano 10/16/2019 CSNews NEWARK, N.J. — One of the most significant categories in the convenience store industry, tobacco, is in a flux. Today’s retailers are currently contending with legislation trends, such as the sweeping Tobacco 21 movement; flavor bans; new product innovation and the education it requires; and changing consumer preferences. As the always-changing landscape of tobacco continues to evolve, should c-store retailers start thinking of the backbar as more for nicotine products than for tobacco products? This was just one of the questions posed during a virtual Retailer Roundtable recently hosted by Convenience Store News, which featured the latest industry and tobacco category data from CSNews‘ exclusive retailer and consumer research studies, followed by an open discussion of the top challenges and opportunities in the tobacco business. Roundtable participants included: Don Burke, senior vice president, Management Science Associates; Anne Flint, director of category management, tobacco, Cumberland Farms Inc.;…

17 October 2019 SmartCompany Motorists could save hundreds of dollars a year, simply by choosing to fill up at low-priced petrol retailers, a new ACCC petrol report has found. The ACCC report analyses average retail petrol prices throughout 2018, and compares the prices between high- and low-priced major petrol retailers in the eight Australian capital cities. “The data reveals that independent chains were the lowest priced retailers in all eight cities, while Coles Express was the highest priced retailer in almost all cities,” ACCC Chair Rod Sims said. The independent chains with the lowest average prices in 2018 were United in Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra and Hobart, Speedway in Sydney, Liberty in Adelaide, Vibe in Perth and FuelXpress in Darwin. “Motorists that always filled up at these independent chains would have come out ahead when it comes to petrol,” Mr Sims said. “While some motorists decide where to fill up based on reasons…