Eli Greenblat February 1, 2013 The Age WOOLWORTHS intends to counter a discounting blitz by rival Coles by walking away from costly promotions at its Big W stores and pouring resources into improving its supermarket fresh food and grocery offerings. It is hoped early signs of an uptick in consumer confidence will help drive sales at the checkout. Combined with its liquor division, Dan Murphy’s, and a growing online business for its supermarket products – albeit from a small base – Woolworths believes it can refocus on its core activities. This strategy has already resulted in the company divesting itself of its struggling Dick Smith electronics business last year and retreating from India. ”[We are] fixing some of the fundamentals of our business. The performance of our packaged [grocery] goods … has been a particular focus and while we have seen improvement, it’s not where it needs to be yet,”…

Lucie van den Berg February 01, 2013 Herald Sun ENERGY drink fans are bragging on social media about downing dangerous amounts of the caffeine, sugar and salt-fuelled drinks in new super-sized portions, prompting concerns from Victorian health groups. Facebook fans gloat about consuming 12 bottles of energy drinks or an entire 1.2-litre container of V, released on the market last year, in a single sitting. “I drank it all in five minutes and now I’ve got the shakes big time,” one social media user said. They also brag about adding alcohol to the drinks to “enhance the effect”. VicHealth alcohol expert Dr Bruce Bolam said just one of the new mega Vs had the caffeine equivalent of six mugs of instant coffee and 25 teaspoons of sugar, and the salt was the same as in a 200g pack of salted potato chips. Heart Foundation Victoria acting CEO Kellie-Ann Jolly said…

Phillip Hudson February 01, 2013 Herald Sun SMOKERS will cough up 28c more tax for a packet of cigarettes from today and the Federal Government will take an extra 24c for every slab of full-strength beer sold. The slug in the so-called “sin taxes” for smokers and drinkers will also mean the tax on a bottle of spirits reaches $20. The changes are part of the automatic rise in indexation introduced 30 years ago by Bob Hawke and are expected to pour millions of dollars extra into the fragile federal Budget. From today, retailers, shopkeepers and bar staff must collect the extra tax. Other factors such as competition, business costs and profit margins could mean prices paid by consumers may be more or less than the tax rise and vary between brands. Smokers will be slugged 11c more for a pack of 20 cigarettes, 14 cents extra for a pack…

BLAIR SPEEDY February 01, 2013 The Australian THE checkouts of the nation’s supermarkets are ringing up big sales numbers, but the giants in the game, Woolworths and Coles, are having to claw for every dollar as customers demand ever-lower prices and deep discounts to part with their cash. Woolworths yesterday reported sales of $10.3 billion for the December quarter, up 4.8 per cent from the same period a year earlier, or 2.5 per cent when the impact of new-store openings was stripped out. It was Woolies’ third straight quarter of higher sales on a comparable-store basis, the benchmark by which most retailers measure performance, but it was not enough to break a 14-quarter losing streak against Coles, which on Wednesday reported a 3.9 per cent comparable-store sales gain for the December quarter. Woolworths chief executive Grant O’Brien said the gains were hard won, with the company offering inducements such as…

CSD Staff Jan 31, 2013 “By teaming up with ExxonMobil, we’re able to thank our customers with a loyalty program that makes two frequent and critical purchases lead to real savings,” says Safeway spokesperson. Safeway Inc. and ExxonMobil have teamed up to provide Safeway shoppers a new way to save at the pump. Safeway shoppers and ExxonMobil customers can now earn Reward Points for most products purchased at Safeway stores in the Mid-Atlantic region and redeem their Reward Points at participating Exxon or Mobil locations. This new loyalty program will help maximize the value and savings provided to Safeway and ExxonMobil customers through the combination of convenience and rewards. In September 2012, Safeway surveyed 1,042 Americans ages 23 to 55 with a driver’s license and discovered that one-third of families go out of their way to look for deals because saving money is important to them. Nearly three out of…

Jerril Rechter February 01, 2013 Herald Sun IN a time-poor society, everyone is looking for a quick fix. But you won’t find it in a can of energy drink by the cash register. Consumers need to be aware that those products won’t deliver a miracle. What you’re paying for is a load of marketing guff. Modern life is tiring. It’s no wonder the promise of a pick-me-up vitamin-infused wonder drink is so tempting. But all you’re buying is a big dose of sugar, salt and caffeine. Drink enough and you’re at increased risk of obesity, stroke and type 2 diabetes. As reported in the Herald Sun, Australians drank 225 million litres of energy drinks last year, about 10 litres per person. And as they rise in popularity, these products are also expanding in size. Over the past year, almost all energy drink brands have upsized their products and placement in…