Supermarkets

Australia has one of the most concentrated grocery markets in the world. Woolworths and Wesfarmers (owner of Coles) account for over 70% of the grocery market. The biggest supermarkets in the USA, Walmart and Kroger, have combined share of 23%; Sainsbury and Tesco in the UK 47%.  [The Conversation - July 2013]

Woolworths and Wesfarmers (owner of Coles) account for almost 80% of supermarket sales, 60% of alcohol retail, 50% of petrol retail and 40% of all retail in Australia. The more market share they have the more influence they have over suppliers and the easier it is to stamp out smaller independent retailers.

Between them they own Coles and Woolworths supermarkets; Dan Murphys, BWS, 1st Choice, Liquorland and Vintage Cellars liquor stores; over 400 hotels with over 15,000 poker machines; Big W, Target and Kmart department stores; Bunnings, Masters and Danks (supplier to Thrifty-Link and Home Hardware) hardware stores; Caltex Woolworths and Coles Express fuel and convenience stores; Officeworks, Kmart Tyre & Auto and much more.  [News.com - April 2011]

Supermarket owned brands command a 25% market share, expected to rise to 30% in the near future. For customers this means less variety, less choice and the disappearance of familiar brands from the aisles. For supermarkets it creates a shift in bargaining power further down the supply chain; Australian farmers and wholesalers have little choice but to sell through the supermarkets own brands and are forced to compete with cheaper and often heavily subsidised foreign imports.  [Choice, July 2012, Price Wars]

With huge power and control of the market, Coles and Woolworths have been criticised as squeezing more and more concessions from suppliers.  [Four Corners, The Price We Pay, 2008]

Both Coles and Woolworths have been criticised for the building of supermarkets in small towns despite local protests. Notable are the townships of Mossman (QLD), Thornleigh (NSW), Mullumbimby(NSW) Mittagong (NSW), Maleny (QLD), Macksville (NSW), Lane Cove (NSW), Erskineville (NSW); and recently Newport (NSW), Seville (VIC) and Woolgoolga (NSW).  [Flavour Crusader]