As the week comes to a close, let’s take a look back at the top headlines in the FMCG industry.
ACCC appealed court decision on Woolworths’ Select Eco range
Consumer watchdog ACCC appealed a Federal Court decision involving supermarket giant Woolworths Select Eco picnic products. ACCC claims it misled consumers about environmental claims.
The products were made from corn starch or sugarcane and were labelled “biodegradable and compostable”. The ACCC said that Woolworths made claims about future matters and believes the retailer did not have reasonable grounds to make them.
Aldi growing three times as fast as rivals
Australians top priorities in grocery shopping are convenience, quality and pricing. Dunnhumby’s latest Australian Grocer Retailer Preference Index found that Woolworths is the go to “one-stop shop” for wide product variety while rival Coles is the chosen grocery for promotions and rewards. However, discount grocer Aldi beats them both on price. Keri-Jane Jacka, commercial director ANZ, of dunnhumby said that Aldi resurgence is built on its “emotional connection with its customers by delivering consistently low prices”.
Supermarket giant Tesco will cut 4500 jobs to ‘simplify’ Metro store operations and reduce administrative processes. Metro was originally designed for larger weekly shops but almost 70 per cent of shoppers see it as a convenience store. Jason Tarry, Tesco UK & ROI CEO, said they need to do a constant review “the way we run our stores to ensure we reflect the way our customers are shopping and do so in the most efficient way”.
German retail giant Kaufland’s latest store is planned for Toowoomba in southern Queensland. A 4,000 sqm full-service supermarket will be built in the area. Kaufland Australia told Inside FMCG that the supermarket proposed a development at 353-359 Anzac Avenue with a “strong focus on fresh food, as well as local produce, known brands and a high-quality private label range”.
Andrew Jenkin to lead GSK joint venture
Andrew Jenkin joined GSK Consumer Healthcare ANZ as the new general manager. GSK and Pfizer closed the transaction on their joint venture on Thursday, bringing together popular medicine brands including GSK’s Sensodyne, Voltaren and Panadol with Pfizer’s Advil, Centrum and Caltrate. This makes GSK Consumer Healthcare the world’s largest over-the-counter business.
That’s it for this week. Have a good weekend!
