Metcash Claims Supermarket Majors Buying Up Properties to Remove Competitors

Published on April 12, 2024

Food wholesaler Metcash has called on the government to strengthen competition laws to protect independent supermarkets from the alleged predatory business practices of major players. During a Senate hearing on April 11, Grant Ramage, CEO of Metcash’s food division, said the growth of two major supermarket chains, Coles and Woolworths, had been left unchecked for a long time. “In the 80s, the combined market share of the two major supermarkets was less than 40 percent. Today, it’s at least 70 percent and in some localities, over 90 percent,” he said. The CEO said the lack of competitive constraint allowed the two supermarkets to cut costs, remove services, and replace staff at checkout without facing consequences....

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