RICHARD GLUYAS APRIL 15, 2014 THE AUSTRALIAN THE Federal Court yesterday helped to further shape the rules of engagement for fuel discount schemes, and there’s good news and bad news for both the big retail chains and Australian Competition & Consumer Commission chairman Rod Sims. For Sims, the big competition issue surrounding fuel discounts by Woolworths and Coles had already been resolved, and that was the tendency for fuel prices to rise for 80 per cent of the population at the same time as the discounts were spiking for the other 20 per cent who had the good fortune to have shopper dockets. The ACCC has successfully cracked the whip and it’s now confident that kind of behaviour has been nipped in the bud. Compared to the big picture, the twin Federal Court rulings are incidental but still important. While the watchdog is considering its legal options in relation to…

IBISWorld Much has been reported on the battle for consumers’ hearts, minds and money by Australia’s two biggest supermarket brands. As the supermarket price war rages on with no clear winner emerging, liquor retailing may yet play a key role for the two giants in their battle for market-share supremacy. Woolworths currently holds the advantage over Wesfarmers in a segment with opportunities for growth. IBISWorld expects revenue from the liquor retailing industry to increase by an annualised 3.3% over the five years through 2013-14, to total $17.7 billion. So far, Woolworths has clearly had the advantage in liquor retailing. Woolworths’ warehouse brand Dan Murphy’s and bottle shop brand BWS have both outperformed their Wesfarmers counterparts (1st Choice Liquor and Vintage Cellars/Liquorland respectively). This is evident in the companies’ financial results: Woolworths enjoys a significant lead in liquor retailing, with revenue totaling $6.8 billion versus Wesfarmers’ $3.2 billion for 2012-13. Coles…

SABRINA TAVERNISE APRIL 14, 2014 The New York Times WASHINGTON — An investigation by Democratic members of Congress into the marketing practices of electronic cigarette companies has found that major producers are targeting young people by giving away free samples at music and sporting events and running radio and television advertisements during youth-oriented programs. The inquiry, led by Senator Richard J. Durbin, Democrat of Illinois, and Representative Henry A. Waxman, Democrat of California, was conducted as the Food and Drug Administration prepared a major package of tobacco control rules that would place e-cigarettes under federal regulation for the first time. The new rules have been slow to appear, and lawmakers said they hoped their report, which came out Monday, might help speed their release. “It’s time for the F.D.A. to step up and regulate these products,” Senator Durbin said during a conference call with reporters. “We’ve got to put an…

APRIL 16, 2014 news.com.au WHAT’S the largest, least regulated and most misunderstood drug trade in America? That would be caffeine. In his new book Caffeinated , investigative reporter Murray Carpenter takes a deep dive into this white-powder stimulant. The author says we underestimate nearly everything about caffeine: its prevalence in our daily lives, its health benefits, its negative impacts on our bodies and patterns. Carpenter shares a peek into his book’s most intriguing, and sometimes surprising, revelations. Caffeine makes us act like lab rats. “With caffeine, coffee and tea especially, people develop very consistent patterns,” says Carpenter. “They hit it hard early in the day and then fade off in afternoon. It’s predictable self-administration, kind of like a lab rat pushing a lever that’ll give them the next expected hit of a drug.” These patterns become so ingrained that many of us don’t even realise how long it’s been since…

Mark Hawthorne April 16, 2014 The Age It is called the Uniqlo Way. Every morning at 9am – an hour before the first customers arrive – staff at Uniqlo’s clothing stores around the world gather to recite what are called ”The Behaviours”. These are a series of well-honed phrases that define customer service. Sales staff – their official title is ”advisers” – pair off, face each other, and say the following out loud: Tadashi Yanai. Tadashi Yanai. Photo: Josh Robenstone â– ”Hello, my name is [insert name], how are you today?” â– ”Did you find everything you were looking for?” â– ”Let me know if you need anything. My name is [insert name].” â– ”Thank you for waiting.” â– ”Goodbye, we hope to see you again soon.” Every adviser must use a minimum of four of these lines – including ”Did you find what you were looking for?” twice – or their service is deemed…