Grocery inquiry 2008

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.

Submissions for the inquiry closed on 11 March 2008.

The ACCC may have been limited in its ability to consider information submitted after the closing date.

Submissions relating to the Horticulture Code of Conduct issues paper closed 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 of Conduct.