Industry News

Wes Hosking Herald Sun August 02, 2012 SUPERMARKET rush hour starts at 5pm, when up to nine times more shoppers cram stores than earlier in the day. New data also shows the best day to avoid the hordes is Tuesday. The Woolworths figures show the peak shopping periods statewide – plus the little-known times when customers can shop in peace. Saturday is the busiest day, especially between 5pm and 6pm when there are nine times more customers than before 9am. Between noon and 2pm is the other daily peak. The trend is similar on weekdays but customer traffic is far lower. The rush lasts until 7pm as customers hit stores after school and work. Woolworths spokesman Benedict Brook said many people wrongly thought mid-afternoons were the best time to go shopping. “Although it is quieter you are probably better to go early to mid-morning or later at night – you…

Blair Speedy August 02, 2012 The Australian THE competition watchdog is working with supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths on a streamlined approval process that could make it easier for them to buy independent supermarkets and liquor stores. Speaking at the NAB National Small Business Summit in Melbourne yesterday, Australian Competition & Consumer Commission chairman Rod Sims said he was hoping the supermarkets would agree to a system that would require them to give more information upfront rather than respond to the commission’s inquiries. “We’re also looking at mergers and acquisitions that have been undertaken by the supermarkets — if you look at our mergers register you’ll notice several small acquisitions that involve the liquor, grocery and home improvement sectors,” he said. The ACCC in June said it would oppose a deal under which Woolworths’ majority-owned pubs business, ALH, would buy 31 hotels — six months after the acquisition was first…

Elly Taylor August 2, 2012 The Age Professional counsellor and author Elly Taylor reveals the secrets to dealing with each kind. 1. The bully with low self-esteem Bullies suffer from low self-esteem. They prop up a fragile self image by putting others down to look good by comparison. When the bully is also a boss, they have power to play with. Power and low self esteem can be a dangerous combination. Bullies will probably use the same tactics on others that was used on them to create their low self-esteem in the first place. Self-esteem is a fluid thing, so it’s something that can be worked on. The first step to combat bullying is to recognise what’s going on. The second is to confront it, with the boss first, and then if it doesn’t cease, to let them know you are willing to go above. Most bullies, especially the passive/aggressive…

Carleen Frost August 02, 2012 The Daily Telegraph A HEALTH warning has been issued for those who have consumed food from Sumo Salad in the Sydney CBD following the diagnosis of Hepatitis A in an employee. People who have eaten from the Kent St store between July 19-26 are being urged to seek out the Hepatitis A vaccine. Those who bought food from the outlet between July 11-18 are encouraged to visit their GP if they begin to develop any symptoms including poor appetite, abdominal discomfort, jaundice and dark urine. South Eastern Sydney Local Health District’s Professor Mark Ferson said the disease was a viral infection of the liver. “We urge anyone who may have been exposed to these food products to receive a Hepatitis A vaccination as quickly as possible to develop some protection from developing the infection,” he said. “People who have already received Hepatitis A vaccine or…

Jane Lee August 2, 2012 The Age Almost 200 Darrell Lea staff will lose their jobs today as the troubled chocolate maker shuts about half of its stores. The company’s administrators, PPB Advisory, announced today that 32 of the Australian company-owned shops will close today, which will leave their 198 casual, part-time and full-time staff out of work. The remaining 34 Darrell Lea stores, a number of which are franchises, will keep operating. The closures come three weeks after the family-owned confectioner announced it was going into voluntary administration, with PPB Advisory planning to sell the business as a going concern. The move placed as many as 700 jobs at risk, although the company said at the time its 69 company-owned and franchised stores in Australia, New Zealand and the United States would continue trading as normal for now. The administrators are expected to outline which stores will close and…