what if we LIKE having choices?!?

[luscious Laura]

I was just talking to a friend and we were discussing how COles and Safeway/Woolworths are taking away so much of our choice, by removing many of the brands that they used to stock in order to stock their own "you'll love coles" and "Select" labels.

It's really not fair!!

Now that they have the market majority, we as consumers are really left to like it or lump it!!

Even though we buy all our fruit and veges from the growers market or vic market, there are still other items we have to get from supermarkets etc. I try to shop at my local IGA or other independant supermarkets, they generally don't have all items i need and I end up going to coles anyway...


SO, what can we do to send a message to these massive monsters?!?

I've never bought a you'll love coles or select brand item.....it's my way of protesting..... but surely there must be more to do?!

[Trillian]

I don't like it either. There was talk months ago in the news about this and the possibility that these two stores will get to the point where they are ONLY stocking their own brands. Which would be a good thing kwim because much of their brand stuff is just rubbish and they would end up ****ting in their own nest so to speak.

I suppose the only way to protest is not to buy the stuff, but then how do you get enough people not to buy it to make a difference? I buy the generic foil/gladwrap/oil etc, but that's about it.

[Harri]

I agree, out of protest i DO NOT EVER buy their home brand items! no matter what!.. it's ridiculous! Obviously our talk about the canned tomatoes has hit a nerve!

I wish people in Australia took more action instead of waiting for the giants to dictate what we eat etc, like they do in europe! Then maybe something would happen! People just have to stop buying the products and start supporting the local smaller supermarkets! I'm officially switching to an IGA that's a little further away, but i'm boycotting the giants near me!

[{sarah}]

I have no problem with it to be honest. We use lots of the You'll Love Coles branded things. They are not necessarily a cheaper nastier substitute, a lot of the big brands make them. For example, Norco makes black & gold brand ice cream.... I also suspect (don't know for sure) that Huggies make the You'll Love Coles nappies.

[Astrid]

I suspect Babylove make the Coles nappies. Done a few nappy trials and they seem almost the same.

I try to buy brand names where possible, especially when it is our preferred item, but sometimes it is hard, especially when the only brand to buy it the home brand. I think they did that with the Organic tomotoes, we now have to buy them from Safeway rather than Coles.

If you are after pasta, pasta sauces etc try you local deli. I do the books for one and I was really suprised at what could be purchased. Downside is that some items are not Australian made/grown.

[blue_hebe]

The supermarket brands are often just other brands with different labels. I worked in a paper products factory one summer and most of the time they just changed the patterns and the wrappers for paper towels - (sometimes the paper would change). My flatmate worked in a canned goods factory where the same kind of thing happened - pretty much just the labels changing

I can understand that losing the choice is a bit frustrating though...I have no idea if they would "listen" to an email or a letter, but it might be worth a go.

[visitor2]

I remember when i worked for Tesco in the UK and was told that Heniz made there baked beans even the really cheap Value ones that where sold for 9p a tin.

[Matryoshka]

This does bother me too, not so much the introduction of their own ranges but the masses of products we are losing from the shelves to make room for the expansion of their brands. I guess i'm a person who loves choice and to not have much choice bothers me. In fact every time i got to ww or coles i notice more and more products/labels gone. I do believe the grand plan is to eradicate most brands until they only stock their upper and lower home brands and perhaps 1-2 major brands in each product range. Its a sad thing for the small producers of goods who are being pushed out of the market.

[kitten2b]

I dislike how a lot of the select brand stuff is from overseas, I would prefer to pay a little more for Australian grown.

[monnie]

I totally agree Laura...

I'm not against Coles having it's own label...no problems...but just don't remove all other brands from the shelves.

I was wanting to buy Barley Sugars the other day...the only brand on offer? Coles...

Very annoying...I try to avoid buying Coles brand out of protest but it's hard and I'm wondering how much of an impact my little protest has...

[nic]

I like having choices too!
We only have woolies to shop at, so when they start taking things off the shelves, that I buy mind you!, it really $hits me!
I hate going shopping each week, as the veg is just awful, they are definately not the fresh food people here, I'm sick of seeing little black and brown bugs on a $4.50 lettuce! Just disgusting!
Our only other choice is to drive 70+klms to the next town.

Nic

[Junglemum]

It might feel like you are not doing much Laura, but really, besides not supporting their home brand products, there isn't a huge amount we can do, short of chaining ourselves to the trolleys?! lol!

I try and shop IGA, local green grocer, local butcher etc. Because it will be a sad day when Coles and
WW have knocked out all the small buisness and our only choice is to shop at their stores on their terms.

I don't think that there is anything wrong with the quality of their homebrand products, but as other people have said, they are often made by a competitor, with a new label. The problem is that when you buy the store brand becasue it is cheaper, the other company is making a much smaller margin on the product, or missing out all together. If they manage to knock out all the competition they can sell what they like at whatever price they like.

My Friend has a fresh produce farm, one of their biggest customers is one of these chains. They were pretty much given an ultimatum, either they sell the fruit under the store brand, or they would stop buying their fruit. This meant the price they would pay for if for was much less, but as this store bought a large % of their fruit they didn't have many options. So their profit margin was slashed, and they lost the marketing/advertising of their product.

i like to have choices too, let's hope it stays that way! Shop local! I think just being aware is a start.

[Snowy Love]

I don't think that there is anything wrong with the quality of their homebrand products, but as other people have said, they are often made by a competitor, with a new label. The problem is that when you buy the store brand becasue it is cheaper, the other company is making a much smaller margin on the product, or missing out all together. If they manage to knock out all the competition they can sell what they like at whatever price they like.

My Friend has a fresh produce farm, one of their biggest customers is one of these chains. They were pretty much given an ultimatum, either they sell the fruit under the store brand, or they would stop buying their fruit. This meant the price they would pay for if for was much less, but as this store bought a large % of their fruit they didn't have many options. So their profit margin was slashed, and they lost the marketing/advertising of their product.

I think you're right. DH read a book about Wal-Mart and from what he told me that is what they do - basically the only ones making anything on the products they sell is Wal-Mart and the suppliers have the choice of making a pittance on their products or not being stocked at Wal-Mart (the largest retailer in the US). I try to buy the smaller brands and I should shop at the IGA, but its always so crowded and so difficult to get a park I don't go there too often. Will try to turn over a new leaf.

[luscious Laura]

When I first moved to Melbourne, we did all our shopping at our local safeway.... the fruit and vege were actually of a fairly decent standard and we had no issues with any of the produce or meat fish etc...

BUt that was 7 years ago!

I think you can almost match the downfall in the quality of their "fresh" produce to the time they started to introduce their own brand labels.... Definately from about 2-3 years ago, I noticed that the veges and fruit started looking tired and icky....

That's when we started doing ALL the fruit vege shopping at the markets and growers markets.

But I think that Ange raises 2 really important points....when farmers are held to ransom and their profits slashed.... that's just not right.... and when you buy your fruit and vege from coles and WW/safeway, we're supporting that behaviour. And same goes for when WW/coles force down profits of other companies by re-labelling products with their own.

but it's a kinda lose lose situation..... if we all stopped, then what happens to the farmers and producers?!? will WW and coles back down and start paying what the produce is worth?? or just drop that supplier for one that will co-operate?

I know it's not possible for everyone to shop and support local growers through growers markets or slow food markets.... BUT it does seem like they are popping up everywhere and most non metro towns seems to have a farmers market etc...so lets hope that continues and we are all able to get super fresh produce and the growers can get a fairer return for their work adn effort.

But the other thing I like about growers markets etc is that it makes shopping fun again! IT's outside, the whole family goes along for the trip and there are heaps of kids around and usually music and yummy food and lots of free samples!!

I can't say i've enjoyed a trip to the supermarket lately.

well I've gone on a bit of a tangent! but it's all kind of related.

[luscious Laura]

The Wal-mart thing is something that has become more of a worry since Wesfarmers/bunnings bought out coles!! wouldn't be a big stretch for them to try and re-jig the stores and the way they stock them.... they certainly have the buying power and money to pack up that wal-mart kind of business practise!

I'm sure they didn't get so powerful and profitable by using equitable trade practices and giving the little guy a fair go!

[Gigi]

i heard on tv last week, that the frozen veg in the "Select" and "I love Coles" brands, comes from countries that have less safe farming practices than AUstralia, so that toxic chemical sprays are used on them, ones that Aust farmers don't use cos it's not safe for humans. So i no longer buy that brand of frozen veg. I don't want the dangerous chemicals and the story made me realise, if i spent the extra 20c or whatever to buy veg grown by Aust farmers, well i'd rather protect Aust jobs.

every time we spend money, it's a political act, we're voting in a way.

i understnad the "but i'm only one person" thought, but worldwide, we add up to alot more than just one person.

we can all make a difference in our own little way.

think of years ago when there were no energy efficient lightbulbs in the supermarket, no organic veg available, many previously hard to get things, are becoming more mainstream. so people power can work.

i like to think, even if i'm the only person present buying ethically (in a shop), you never know who your action might influence, it's still worth doing, and anyway, you still have your own conscience - so at least you'll feel good about your decision. I've gone past the point of worrying "am i the only one"> i no longer care, sometimes you just gotta do what's right for you.

i am finding it harder to patronise the little shops with a small bub. the multiple stops and dealing with the pusher, sometimes it's all too hard. Now i understand why mums go to a big shopping centre and do it all at one stop - dealing with PND and a very sore back, going out is such a trial now.