Press Releases

30/05/22; ACCC Media Release The ACCC has instituted proceedings in the Federal Court against Mastercard Asia/Pacific Pte Ltd and Mastercard Asia/Pacific (Australia) Pty Ltd (together, Mastercard), for allegedly engaging in conduct with the purpose of substantially lessening competition in the supply of debit card acceptance services. Mastercard’s alleged anti-competitive conduct commenced in late 2017 in the context of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s least cost routing initiative. The RBA’s least cost routing initiative aimed to increase competition in the supply of debit card acceptance services and reduce payment costs for businesses by allowing them to choose the lowest cost network to process their transactions. This enabled businesses to choose whether their debit transactions were processed by Visa, Mastercard or eftpos, with eftpos often being the cheapest option. It is alleged that in response to the least cost routing initiative, Mastercard entered into agreements with more than 20 major retail businesses,…

Matthew Dodson, General Manager, Patties Foods, has been appointed to the Australian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS) Board as a Supplier Director. AACS supplier members were asked to nominate who they wanted to see representing them on the AACS Board and a shortlist of four candidates were named, with members ultimately voting on Dodson’s appointment. Dodson, who told C&I that he is “delighted” by the appointment, will join the Board on a three-year term, and sees the opportunity as a “wonderful chance to give something back to the convenience industry that has given me so much over many years”. He has a vast background in the convenience and foodservice industries, most recently as General Manager – OOH at Patties, where he’s had the chance to contribute to a core focus area for the industry being “food on the good”. He holds a Master of Business Marketing from Swinburne University, which…

Major retail groups say review is critical for stamping out the booming black market for tobacco products The leaders of three national retail groups representing thousands of businesses across the country have welcomed the Queensland Government’s announcement of a review of smoking laws in the state and their important intent to stamp out illicit trade. In a joint statement, the leaders of the Australian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS), the Master Grocers Association (MGA), and the Australian Lottery and Newsagents Association (ALNA) said they looked forward to working with Health Minister Yvette D’Ath through the review process and to addressing this vital issue. “This is a recognition of the damage that illicit tobacco is inflicting on law-abiding businesses, communities, and the economy of Queensland,” the associations said in the joint statement issued by AACS chief executive Theo Foukkare, MGA chief executive Jos de Bruin, and ALNA chief executive Ben Kearney.…

Warnings that 300,000 illegal cigarettes and 3000kgs of loose-leaf tobacco are just the tip of the iceberg and more police enforcement is needed. Illegal trade is growing rapidly in regional Queensland The discovery of a giant cache of illicit tobacco seized in a joint operation of the Australian Taxation Office and Queensland Police shows the importance of ensuring authorities have the resources to enforce the law on black market tobacco, the leaders of three national retail representative groups representing thousands of businesses across the country said today. In a joint statement, the leaders of the Australian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS), Master Grocers Australia (MGA), and the Australian Lottery and Newsagents Association (ALNA) welcomed news of the raid and said it highlighted the extent of the illicit tobacco problem and its impact on communities. The ATO announced today it had seized nearly 300,000 illicit cigarettes as well as 3,000kg of…

We are here to help says CEO The Australian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS) says it is working closely with the ACCC to ensure that reputable retail brands are not caught up in the ‘naming and shaming’ of stores that are price gouging on Rapid Antigen Tests. Theo Foukkare, CEO of the AACS, which has over 6500 retail and supplier members, and represents major convenience retail brands said: ‘We fully condemn any retail outlet price gouging on the sale of RATs. We want to ensure that reputable retailers aren’t tarnished with the same brush as those doing the wrong thing. There has been a lot of misinformation being reported and then corrected in the public arena and we would not want this to negatively impact on our reputable retail brands in the convenience and service station sector. ‘Convenience and petrol stores across the nation have played a critical role within…

Representatives of thousands of small businesses say vaping black markets are thriving and the answer is to cut off supply to minors Australian retailers are calling for an urgent overhaul of regulations on vaping products and an enforcement crackdown following reports of widespread use of vapes in Queensland schools. In a joint statement, the leaders of the Australian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS), the Master Grocers Association (MGA), and the Australian Lottery and Newsagents Association (ALNA) said it was clear Commonwealth Government policy on vapes is misguided, poorly designed, and failing the community. The retail associations, which represent thousands of small businesses around the country, say responsible retailers already play an important role in keeping tobacco away from minors and the same approach should be taken to vaping products. AACS chief executive Theo Foukkare said: “Although we disagree with the current prescription model for vaping products we do not condone…