CHOICE has made a submission to the inquiry by the Senate Select Committee on supermarket prices and is calling on the government to force supermarkets to use fair and transparent pricing.
A recent national survey by CHOICE revealed that 88% of people in Australia are worried about the cost of food and groceries. Many are struggling to put food on the table while the two major supermarkets each post over a billion dollars in profit. To make matters worse, supermarkets appear to be using a number of promotions and strategies to entice people into buying more or misleading them into thinking they are getting a good deal, when they are not.
We have heard from so many people who are sick of feeling tricked by specials that aren't really specials, feeling forced into membership programs to save, paying more for less product or having to buy more than they intended through multi-buy offers to get a discount. Consumers should have access to food at prices that are fair, transparent and affordable. Being able to access food and essential items is not just a matter of convenience, it's core to maintaining health, dignity and well-being.
CHOICE has made a number of recommendations in our submission, including:
- Banning unfair pricing practices, such as 'member-only' discounts
- Introducing rules about discounts or other promotion, and how these should be presented
- Enforcing and expanding the Grocery Unit Pricing Code
- Requiring supermarkets to publish historical grocery pricing information
- Reforming competition and consumer laws to make sure the ACCC has the powers it needs to hold supermarkets to account.
Download the statement (PDF)
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