On 22 January 2008 the then Assistant Treasurer requested an ACCC price inquiry into the price of groceries.
Scope of inquiry
Matters considered by the inquiry included:
- the current structure of the grocery industry including mergers and acquisitions by the national retailers
- the nature of competition of the grocery industry
- the competitive position of small and independent retailers
- the pricing practices of the national grocery retailers and the representation of grocery prices to consumers
- factors influencing the pricing of inputs along the supply chain for standard grocery items
- any impediments to efficient pricing of inputs along the supply chain and
- the effectiveness of the Horticulture code of conduct, and whether the inclusion of other major buyers such as retailers would improve the effectiveness of the code.
Inquiry documents
- Notice of inquiry ( PDF 248.26 KB )
- Grocery inquiry issues paper 11 February 2008 ( PDF 301.94 KB )
- Horticulture Code issues paper 20 May 2008 ( PDF 97.05 KB )
Submissions
Grocery inquiry
Submissions for the inquiry closed at 5pm on 11 March 2008
The ACCC may have been limited in its ability to take into account information submitted after the closing date.
Horticulture code
Submissions relating to the Horticulture Code issues paper were due at 5pm on 10 June 2008.
Please note that many of the earlier general submissions to the Inquiry also mention issues that relate to the Horticulture Code.
Public hearings
Report
More information
Inquiry press conference - on the Treasury website