The non-confidential written submissions on the ACCC’s Issues Paper for its Supermarkets Inquiry 2024-25 are now available here.
Most of the submissions were from industry organisations and supermarkets. However, there were several consumer focused submissions including one from CFA (which several members signed onto) and individual submissions by the following CFA members: CHOICE, Combined Pensioners and Superannuants (NSW), the Council on the Aging, and the Queensland Consumers Association.
All the CFA member submissions made recommendations on a variety of issues and most, plus CFA’s, called for improvements to the grocery unit pricing system to make it easier for consumers to compare the price of grocery products, and to increase competition in the supply chain. A submission by Professor Harmen Oppewal (Monash University) and Dr Jun Yao (Macquarie University), who have undertaken extensive research on grocery unit pricing, also supported improving the grocery unit pricing system.
The ACCC will release an interim report by 31 August and a final report by 28 February 2025.