margaret went shopping today at woolies at the logan hyperdome,  ( coles and woolies are offering 10 per cent off to pensioners on tuesday and wednesday )              " but"     the prices on all the staple lines has shot thru the roof.         there other offer  is 40 cents off your petrol ( if you buy $300.00 worth of grocereys,etc etc etc etc )   these monopolies just seem to do as they please.     is this only happening in queensland

NSW too Ken.  Went to Bateman's Bay today and the same happening there. 
Coles in Ulladulla yesterday.

Ma

I got a pleasant surprise when I went through the checkout at Coles, Earlville, Cairns. It won't last but take while you can get it. Besides, if they can afford to give us 10% off yesterday, today and tomorrow, what have they done to keep up their profit margins? Then there is the annoying practice of promoting 3 items for the price of 2. It's all very well if you have a lot of cupboard space. The caravan doesn't accommodate all that stuff. I get very cranky with those alleged "specials" when I can't compare the full price per item to determine if it really is a special, or a con job. So if I buy 3 for $4.20, why can't I get 1 for $1.40? Simple mathematics but not simple marketing. The pricing is giving me the sh.ts. If they can sell 3 at the cheaper price, why can't they sell the individual item for a third? They've got us over a barrel. I don't shop IGA but I'm beginning to think I'd personally be better off in the long run. I won't shop Aldi ever because they don't stock a full range of essentials or items I use frequently. It's false economy to drive all over town looking for specials or the supposed best deal. Don't let them con you. Make sure you know what you want. Cheers Chris

I know a few producers who, over time, have been forced to deal with woolworths, the specials arent born by woolies the price cut has to be soaked up by the producer, woolies still keep their mark up it is the producers who go to the wall, woolies never will, they just get another supplier the big two are nothing short of mongrels, they have the duopoly and are squeezing the life out of our producers, thats why a lot of food comes from overseas now, our poor buggers cant compete with a dollar a week paypackets the sooner we get more food retailers into the market place to produce "HONEST" competition the better I shop foodland or Iga whenever I can, it is locally owned and locally operated and the profits stay right here, it costs a bit more and the shelves arent as full, I dont care, my grandkids and freinds kids will look for a job one day

There have been a few topics on the big 2, and I held off getting the soap box out, as we have to deal with them. But stuff it, enough.

I believe: They are killing aussie, and the food chain, to make a buck.

I believe: They already squeeze the producer to min income, and then go and buy the farm, This allows them to convince the ACCC that they are not over pricing, and therefore not the cause of the price rise. No, their sub company now owns the farm and sets the price. They reject produce from farms that do not bend to them, but keep the product without payment. Where the hell are we going to get the knowledge and expertise of the primary producer of today, if their kids do not continue the farm because it is not worth it.

I believe: Then they have a go at the trucking industry. The trucker has to bend over backwards, get new gear, deliver within a set goal, or little or no payment. Never mind they have another delivery or collection, just to keep their heads above water, no they wait till the big 2 are ready for them, even if on time and temp. No wonder the trucking industry has now to advertise for drivers. And yep, freight prices are on the rise. Two guesses at who has major stakes in that industry.

They have set their minds at cornering the fuel market. Well they have done well. Apparently they have over 10% of it, within the first couple of years.

At what point are we Aussies going to wake up and start considering the long term of only have two outlets for ALL our basic needs. AND lastly, did you check where the product came from for your last shop there : was it an Aussie product?

Our kids will need jobs, and the big 2 save on needing employee's by volume. A corner store has more employee's per square metre than the big 2.

Support the individual shop: butcher/baker/candle stick maker, where and while you can.

Anyhow, thats my view on it. Soapbox back in corner

mongrels      is about the right word for these people dave.   when they have a shelf   ,at eye level thats wear the top profit lines are.    then going down the shelf,the less profit lines.  at the bottom you get the likes of sugar,and flower,the basic staples.           next time you are in your supermarket,just have a look for something that you used to buy, but is not on there shelves anymore.   super markets make the producers or manufactures "pay them for there shelf space".      if they dont want to pay for shelf space,they just dont stock that line.   it just gets worse with the fruit and vegatable growers.  just take bananas they go to a big grower in tully or innisfail,they order 4000 x13 kg cartons,then they tell him he has to pack the  carton so there is no more than 3 bananas to the bunch ( this saves them employing someone to do this,because if the bananas are in big bunches,the housewife is likely to brake one of and thats part of there profit.)  another con,they tell the prducer that hey will tansport the fruit.   they go to a truck company and give them a big line of bull about you will get all our work.  they then put the squeeze on for a cheap transport price ( little more than rail rates )   and then to be told to be in melbourne tommorow.         

That's why truckies get killed trying to meet those deadlines. The pressure is enormous on everyone from the primary producer to the checkout chick. When the shop shelves were empty here after Tropical Cyclone Hamish passed Qld the floods kept all traffic to the south of Innisfail for more than a week. Frieght was brought up the coast by ship. The following week when the shelves were restacked and everyone was restocking their pantries and freezers, there was no staff to keep the shoppers moving. When I asked one of the checkout ladies why there were 8 people in line at the 2 open checkouts, she told me it was because they didn't sell anything the week before, so they can't have staff this week. What sort of business, customer service logic is that? Can someone please explain? Cheers Chris

unfortunately all that has been said previously is 100% true, thats why I shop at foodland or IGA or some independant grocer when I can, but these big buggers are forcing our little mum and dad shops out, I do what I can, when I can

The Revolution is one step closer my friends!!

And some of you wonder why I promote ALDI?????????????????????????????????????????????????????
This has been going on since 1949, it's been a long campaign but it's working, much the same way as Bunnings are screwing the hardware retail sector.......
I thought I was the only one to notice this was going on!!

My daughter and I worked together and started calling at Aldi on our way home, at first we thought the same as most first timers I guess but we perservered and now two years later we have worked out what we like and don't like. I would suggest we both buy about 70% of our shopping there now and save a fortune. The few items I buy from othe super markets are butter ,coffee and meat , we don't like their lamb or beef although their mince beef is nice. We have even converted my motherinlaw now, I think the problem is people get used to ten of each item on the shelf and they go to Aldi and it seems empty but the fact is even if there are ten items you are only going to buy one.

we buy all our meat from"alex" our butcher, we've known him and his father for donkeys years, absolutely beautifull meat and he knows what we like, always good value for money our vegies come from either Morrells family grocers here in town or the one out on the highway (cant remember their name, Harry's or something like that, sorry senior moment) they all know us and we get greeted like family, mostly run by greek or italian, absolutely lovely people and fantastic produce, well worth the 20 km's to go and get the good stuff and we have a yak at the same time, a grocery run normally takes about two hours our bread comes from our local bakery unfortunately we still must deal with either coles or woolies for the staples, toothpaste, loo paper, hair shampoo just the everyday stuff that cannot be purchased anywhere else our fuel comes from "perrys" another family owned business from crystal brook, family business that has been running for over a hundred years, we have a wide range of fuel stations here including shell (woolworths) and their "discount" but we want our locals to continue to do well, great service and we are greeted warmly all the time, we are very quickly recognised and treated as a member of the family when we travel we try to shop at a family store, may be smaller and not as wide a choice and a little dearer but a lot of people in that town depend on that store for employment, sometimes the very towns existance depends on that store If we stay near a town then I like to say thanks and seek out the family stores to just purchase some goods I may be weird but I like to support the "little feller" where and when I can, stuff the bigun's