Author name: Warren Beaumont

Positive retail sales trend for October as hopes high for Christmas

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While the trend estimate for Australian retail trade turnover at current prices rose a modest 0.4% in October 2014 following similar rises in September and August, the Australian Retailers Association said year-on-year retail growth rose 5.7% (seasonally adjusted, compared to October 2013), a positive sign for the retail industry. The original estimate for Australian turnover […]

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Viva Energy completes Liberty deal, flags $1billion investment

294 Comments / News, Petrol, Retailer news /

Viva Energy Australia, the exclusive distributor of Shell branded fuels and lubricants in Australia, has completed its acquisition of a non-controlling stake in Liberty Oil, one of its largest retail customers. Viva Energy businesses include the Shell Geelong refinery, supported by more than 20 terminals across the country supplying around 870 petrol convenience sites. Scott

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Health Star Rating website relaunches, more products roll out

1 Comment / News, Supplier news /

Assistant Minister for Health Fiona Nash has relaunched a voluntary, front of pack Health Star Rating (HSR) food labelling system to rate the healthiness of foods with a new website, which she said is the first stage of the campaign which will intensify over coming months as more food products support the system. The launch

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Grocery Code set for 2015 implementation

49 Comments / Convenience retailers, News, Other FMCG Retailers, Retailer news /

The federal government’s draft voluntary Food and Grocery Code of Conduct is now with Coles and Woolworths and key suppliers, 19 months after it was first proposed, but whether it will be effective and also enforceable under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 may be another matter. Small Business Minister Bruce Billson said the federal

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Plain packaging boosts illegal tobacco, Qld to restrict E-cigs

Leave a Comment / Tobacco /

Illegal tobacco use in Australia continues to grow with a new report revealing around one in every seven cigarettes consumed is illegal, exposing the fact that plain tobacco packaging has proved only a burden to retailers, according to the Australian Retailers Association. And Queensland State Parliament voted last week to prohibit the sale and supply

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Metcash gains momentum from transformation plan, pricing strategies

286 Comments / News, Retailer news, Supplier news /

Metcash Limited announced that Group sales revenue increased 1% to $6.6 billion on the prior comparable period for its half-year ended October 31, 2014, while underlying Profit after Tax decreased 9.0% to $101.7 million due to ongoing operating deleverage and as investment in the MFG strategy commenced. However, Metcash’s Transformation program is making progress and

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Pre-Christmas petrol price falls good news for retailers

20 Comments / Convenience retailers, News, Petrol, Retailer news /

Fuel prices are falling rapidly so that motorists should expect petrol price relief before Christmas, with average national petrol price falling about 10 cents to around $1.40 a litre in November, thanks to a global oil glut and a price battle between USA shale oil producers and the Saudi-Arabia-led OPEC countries. According to the NRMA,

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Potato chips, savoury snacks lead Australia’s snacking

868 Comments / Insights, News /

When it comes to the nation’s most popular snacks, Australians’ tastes tend more towards savoury than sweet. In an average seven-day period, 41% of us snack on potato chips, 37% snack on nuts, and 32% snack on savoury biscuits/crackers. But while these salty treats are the nation’s undisputed favourites, sweet snacks outnumber them when we

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D&B sales outlook hits 14-year high, Morgan Poll, ACCI not so sure

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A Dun & Bradstreet’s Business Expectations Survey revealed that 53.2% of businesses expect increased sales in Q1 2015 compared to last year, while just 7.5% forecast a decline, lifting D&B’s sales expectations index to 45.8 points, its highest level since Q2, 2000. However, Roy Morgan Research’s Business Confidence survey in October 2014 declined by 8

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The need to champion competition in Australia

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Addressing the RBB Economics Conference in Sydney, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chairman Rod Sims backed economic reforms proposed by the Harper Review Panel. “The Harper Review Panel has proposed reforms to the delivery of human services; cost-reflective road pricing; removing cabotage restrictions on coastal shipping; de-regulating trading hours recognising that internet trading never stops;

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Woolies cleared by ACCC over Jamie Oliver campaign

1 Comment / Other FMCG Retailers /

The chair of the competition regulator has dismissed allegations that Woolworths had unfairly pressured fresh produce suppliers over the request by Woolworths for financial contributions to its Jamie Oliver Collectibles Campaign, which industry group Ausveg claimed in June. “We contacted the 200 suppliers approached by Woolworths to fund its campaign to enquire about the nature

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Puma Energy posts 3Q profit, announces major PNG upgrades

1,237 Comments / Petrol /

Puma Energy has announced that global gross profit increased 31% in the third quarter 2013 to US$402 million and EBITDA by 21% to US$167m, while it revealed plans to expand and invest further into Papua New Guinea during its official brand launch. CFO of the globally integrated midstream and downstream energy company, Denis Chazarain, said

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