If only our CASE and CCCS is so on the ball. . .

[SGMCF328]

Heh, similar situation here too but our authority may be too busy with the in-depth monitoring until no time to take actions in protecting our consumers. Or was the price increases due to many other factors, which make it very complicated, requiring many man-YEARS to calculate? Hahahaha

I used to point out some of the offer advertisement to the respective supermarket, where was price was lower than the offer price, and the standard answer are either "Sorry, it is a typo", "The price actually increase quite sometime ago and now it is on offer, so a good time to stock up", etc.

Australia supermarkets Coles, Woolworths sued by regulator for misleading discounts

Source: https://www.straitstimes.com/business/coles-woolworths-sued-by-regulator-for-misleading-discounts

SYDNEY – Coles Group and Woolworths Group, Australia’s two biggest supermarket chains, have been sued by the country’s competition regulator over claims they misled shoppers over discounting claims on hundreds of common products. 

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) alleged the companies briefly inflated prices on popular items such as Coca-Cola, Tim Tams biscuits and Colgate toothpaste before reducing them to the same or slightly higher than the original price.  

“The discounts were, in fact, illusory,” ACCC chairwoman Gina Cass-Gottlieb said in a statement on Sept 23.

“Many consumers rely on discounts to help their grocery budgets stretch further, particularly during this time of cost-of-living pressures. It is critical that Australian consumers are able to rely on the accuracy of pricing and discount claims,” she said. 

Australia has one of the world’s most concentrated supermarket sectors, with Woolworths and Coles controlling just over half of the market, according to Bloomberg Intelligence.

Both chains have come under political fire during the cost-of-living pressures sparked by stubbornly high inflation, with the government in June introducing larger fines for anti-competitive behaviour. 

“These are serious allegations that the ACCC is bringing before the courts,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Sept 23. “If this is found to be true, it’s completely unacceptable. Customers don’t deserve to be treated as fools by the supermarkets.”

The ACCC has been taking a tougher stance on protecting Australian consumers, who must contend with duopolies or oligopolies in many industries, including air travel, banking and telecommunications.

The competition regulator alleges Woolworths made false or misleading representations about the prices of 266 products between September 2021 and May 2023, while Coles made false or misleading representations about the prices of 245 goods during February 2022 and May 2023. 

Ms Cass-Gottlieb said the allegations were “very serious”, and that the ACCC is worried both about the harm to consumers and the harm to competition by fake discounts. 

The allegations come as the ACCC undertakes a broader analysis of the supermarket sector. Ms Cass-Gottlieb added that the commission is looking in depth at competition, cost, pricing and margins.

“We encourage genuine discounts – they matter to consumers,” she told reporters on Sept 23. “But they need to be genuine.”

In one example cited, from at least Jan 1, 2021, until Nov 27, 2022, Woolworths offered Oreo Family Pack Original cookies for for a regular price of A$3.50 for at least 696 days.

On Nov 28, 2022, the price was increased to A$5 for 22 days. On Dec 20, 2022, the cookies were placed on a “Prices Dropped” promotion at a new price of A$4.50 and a “was” price of A$5. The “Prices Dropped” price of A$4.50 was in fact 29 per cent higher than the previous regular price, the regulator said.

The regulator also alleged that in many cases both companies “had already planned to later place the products on a ‘Prices Dropped’... promotion before the price spike, and implemented the temporary price spike for the purpose of establishing a higher ‘was’ price”, Ms Cass-Gottlieb said. BLOOMBERG

[BanCoe]

Baskit .... mangnum ice cream nearly 2 x ++ plus more expensive in SG than Malaysia, even though both are like made in Thighland    

Where got logic..... we kenna ketok in almost anything we buy

Aunty Lucy n SS huat lah VEP coming in   

[ER-3682]

Luckily We got Sheng Siong & Giant,or else NTUC sell even more Expensive.

[Benarsenal]

On 9/23/2024 at 5:50 PM, SGMCF328 said:

In one example cited, from at least Jan 1, 2021, until Nov 27, 2022, Woolworths offered Oreo Family Pack Original cookies for for a regular price of A$3.50 for at least 696 days.

On Nov 28, 2022, the price was increased to A$5 for 22 days. On Dec 20, 2022, the cookies were placed on a “Prices Dropped” promotion at a new price of A$4.50 and a “was” price of A$5. The “Prices Dropped” price of A$4.50 was in fact 29 per cent higher than the previous regular price, the regulator said.

Here don't have people so eng to track for so long lah. Our prices like stock market like that one, every day suka suka up down up down.

[Rayleigh]

Our most "powerful" body,  lead  by the incumbent, can only suggest: "Let the consumer decide". Really KNS. Can we decide their pay as well?🤣

[Inlinefour]

ex case chief became speaker next onglye out he takes over

 

our leader only cares about their multi million pay check

 

not well being of citizens

 

but can't really blame them cos living in ivory tower

 

doesn't know commoner daily struggling 

 

we have no natural resources 

 

thus shortchanging or squeezing milking citizen is the only way 

 

my 2ml of ron92 

[Atonchia]

On 9/23/2024 at 5:50 PM, SGMCF328 said:

Heh, similar situation here too but our authority may be too busy with the in-depth monitoring until no time to take actions in protecting our consumers. Or was the price increases due to many other factors, which make it very complicated, requiring many man-YEARS to calculate? Hahahaha

I used to point out some of the offer advertisement to the respective supermarket, where was price was lower than the offer price, and the standard answer are either "Sorry, it is a typo", "The price actually increase quite sometime ago and now it is on offer, so a good time to stock up", etc.

Australia supermarkets Coles, Woolworths sued by regulator for misleading discounts

Source: https://www.straitstimes.com/business/coles-woolworths-sued-by-regulator-for-misleading-discounts

SYDNEY – Coles Group and Woolworths Group, Australia’s two biggest supermarket chains, have been sued by the country’s competition regulator over claims they misled shoppers over discounting claims on hundreds of common products. 

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) alleged the companies briefly inflated prices on popular items such as Coca-Cola, Tim Tams biscuits and Colgate toothpaste before reducing them to the same or slightly higher than the original price.  

“The discounts were, in fact, illusory,” ACCC chairwoman Gina Cass-Gottlieb said in a statement on Sept 23.

“Many consumers rely on discounts to help their grocery budgets stretch further, particularly during this time of cost-of-living pressures. It is critical that Australian consumers are able to rely on the accuracy of pricing and discount claims,” she said. 

Australia has one of the world’s most concentrated supermarket sectors, with Woolworths and Coles controlling just over half of the market, according to Bloomberg Intelligence.

Both chains have come under political fire during the cost-of-living pressures sparked by stubbornly high inflation, with the government in June introducing larger fines for anti-competitive behaviour. 

“These are serious allegations that the ACCC is bringing before the courts,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Sept 23. “If this is found to be true, it’s completely unacceptable. Customers don’t deserve to be treated as fools by the supermarkets.”

The ACCC has been taking a tougher stance on protecting Australian consumers, who must contend with duopolies or oligopolies in many industries, including air travel, banking and telecommunications.

The competition regulator alleges Woolworths made false or misleading representations about the prices of 266 products between September 2021 and May 2023, while Coles made false or misleading representations about the prices of 245 goods during February 2022 and May 2023. 

Ms Cass-Gottlieb said the allegations were “very serious”, and that the ACCC is worried both about the harm to consumers and the harm to competition by fake discounts. 

The allegations come as the ACCC undertakes a broader analysis of the supermarket sector. Ms Cass-Gottlieb added that the commission is looking in depth at competition, cost, pricing and margins.

“We encourage genuine discounts – they matter to consumers,” she told reporters on Sept 23. “But they need to be genuine.”

In one example cited, from at least Jan 1, 2021, until Nov 27, 2022, Woolworths offered Oreo Family Pack Original cookies for for a regular price of A$3.50 for at least 696 days.

On Nov 28, 2022, the price was increased to A$5 for 22 days. On Dec 20, 2022, the cookies were placed on a “Prices Dropped” promotion at a new price of A$4.50 and a “was” price of A$5. The “Prices Dropped” price of A$4.50 was in fact 29 per cent higher than the previous regular price, the regulator said.

The regulator also alleged that in many cases both companies “had already planned to later place the products on a ‘Prices Dropped’... promotion before the price spike, and implemented the temporary price spike for the purpose of establishing a higher ‘was’ price”, Ms Cass-Gottlieb said. BLOOMBERG

They better have letters from suppliers to support if there's really price increase during the period. 

[jcmm]

On 9/23/2024 at 8:32 PM, Inlinefour said:

 

 

our leader only cares about their multi million pay check

 

not well being of citizens

 

Cannot blame them, no matters how f up they done, they are still voted in  

[Atonchia]

On 9/23/2024 at 7:32 PM, ER-3682 said:

Luckily We got Sheng Siong & Giant,or else NTUC sell even more Expensive.

Actually all retailers buy from same supplier. 

It's only how attractive each supermarket run their promotion + loyalty points program. 

NTUC for link points 

Now Cold Storage and Giant, Guardian have Yuu points. 

Sheng Siong no loyalty points, only have lucky draw program.... Then they just go on best promotional pricing. 

[inlinesix]

On 9/23/2024 at 8:45 PM, jcmm said:

Cannot blame them, no matters how f up they done, they are still voted in  

Cannot blame voter if there is no good alternative.

 

[BanCoe]

Only if smaller boys like Prime , Value Dollar Shop or Mustafa can get blessings then it will be more transparent , in fact value dollar shop  is quite cheap ….

must have them more around 

[Ahwhye]

On 9/23/2024 at 6:11 PM, BanCoe said:

Baskit .... mangnum ice cream nearly 2 x ++ plus more expensive in SG than Malaysia, even though both are like made in Thighland    

Where got logic..... we kenna ketok in almost anything we buy

Aunty Lucy n SS huat lah VEP coming in   

people will tell you that sg has the bestest best gahmen, everything come with a price, while they get the highest celery, you only pay a bit more for the ice cream, dun complain, still got house brand cheaper one, otherwise you can eat fish if meat is expensive....

[Ahwhye]

On 9/23/2024 at 8:41 PM, Atonchia said:

They better have letters from suppliers to support if there's really price increase during the period. 

they can tell you rental, labour, utilities, sunshine, moonlight, air etc all are on upward trend....

[Atonchia]

On 9/23/2024 at 9:05 PM, BanCoe said:

Only if smaller boys like Prime , Value Dollar Shop or Mustafa can get blessings then it will be more transparent , in fact value dollar shop  is quite cheap ….

must have them more around 

Those usually they parallel import the goods, so pricing can be better, but limited range. 

So if I really need to trim down expenses and have enough time during weekend or evening time, I can shop at these shops, like buy alkaline batteries, certain wafer biscuits, shampoo if they carry them etc.... 

Go to neighbourhood fruit stalls buy fruits.... 

Then go supermarket for remaining groceries....

So it depends of individual and family needs. Some daily necessities can be ordered online for convenience and they are delivered by vans, not ebike🤣. 

[inlinesix]

On 9/23/2024 at 9:17 PM, Atonchia said:

Those usually they parallel import the goods, so pricing can be better, but limited range. 

So if I really need to trim down expenses and have enough time during weekend or evening time, I can shop at these shops, like buy alkaline batteries, certain wafer biscuits, shampoo if they carry them etc.... 

Go to neighbourhood fruit stalls buy fruits.... 

Then go supermarket for remaining groceries....

So it depends of individual and family needs. Some daily necessities can be ordered online for convenience and they are delivered by vans, not ebike🤣. 

Value sells Glo Dish Washer from Msia.

Very good in degreasing

[Atonchia]

On 9/23/2024 at 9:12 PM, Ahwhye said:

they can tell you rental, labour, utilities, sunshine, moonlight, air etc all are on upward trend....

Actually you are right leh....🤣

A lot actually due to current marco environment.... And global situation pushing price of commodities up.

All the carbon tax nonsense etc....

Shipment delays due to cargo ships bypass some regions, bottleneck at many ports, then when all ships and containers are floating....

There is lack of empty ships and containers.... Resulting increase shipment cost.... 

So... 

Here...we go again.. Same old ship again... Walking down the avenue.... few more years and we'll be through....Way--- lo way lo, way lo.. wah hah🤣

[macrosszero]

Keep in mind Australia was, and maybe still is, able to selectively exempt GST on essential items, while Singapore said it was “too difficult” to do so and chose to apply it across the board, thereby making it a tax for all, rather than an elective tax where you only got stung if you were buying a luxury item. Of course, I’m sure they did it because people will start contesting what is a luxury item, but what do I know, I’m not a lawmaker 

[Atonchia]

On 9/23/2024 at 9:05 PM, Ahwhye said:

people will tell you that sg has the bestest best gahmen, everything come with a price, while they get the highest celery, you only pay a bit more for the ice cream, dun complain, still got house brand cheaper one, otherwise you can eat fish if meat is expensive....

Best celery 

Because they give carrots🤣