ACCC chairman calls for retail rules revamp

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…

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The 7 kinds of difficult people at work

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…

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Warning over Sumo Salad Hepatitis A diagnosis

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…

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Darrell Lea closes half its stores, cuts 200 jobs

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…

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Retailers have little to whinge about

Michael Pascoe August 2, 2012 The Age The gap continues to widen between what consumers say and what they do as retail spending surged ahead in the June quarter. And the dollars going into tills have implications for the overall economy as well as the ability of retailers to whinge. While the headline seasonally adjusted June retail sales figure surprised on the upside with growth of 1 per cent as the federal government’s mini cash splash hit home, the bigger story is the trend measure recording growth of 0.5 per cent for the month and the two previous months being revised up to that same figure. The 1.5 per cent rise in the trend count for the June quarter indicates the consumption surge that lifted the March quarter GDP figures is continuing. What’s more, consumption and retail sales might be resuming the correlation that had broken down over the past…

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