Supermarket Monsters: The Price of Coles and Woolworths' Dominance

Redback Quarterly #6

by Malcolm Knox

Down, down . . .

In hardware, petrol, general merchandise and liquor, and above all in groceries, Coles and Woolworths jointly rule Australia’s retail landscape. On average, every man, woman and child in this country spends $100 a week across their many outlets.

What does such dominance mean for suppliers? And is it good for consumers?

In Supermarket Monsters, journalist and author Malcolm Knox shines a light on Australia’s twin mega-retailers, exploring how they have built and exploited their market power. Knox reveals the unavoidable and often intimidating tactics both companies use to get their way. In return for cheap milk and bread, he argues, we as consumers are risking much more: quality, diversity and community.

Malcolm Knox is a former literary editor of the Sydney Morning Herald and has won two Walkley Awards for journalism. His novels include Jamaica, The Life and The Wonder Lover.

Genres: Nonfiction, Business, Economics, Australia, Politics

174 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2015

About the author

Malcolm Knox was born in 1966. He grew up in Sydney and studied in Sydney and Scotland, where his one-act play, POLEMARCHUS, was performed in St Andrews and Edinburgh. He has worked for the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD since 1994 and his journalism has been published in Australia, Britain, India and the West Indies.

His first novel Summerland was published to great acclaim in the UK, US, Australia and Europe in 2000. In 2001 Malcolm was named one of the Sydney Morning Herald's Best Young Australian novelists. He lives in Sydney with his wife Wenona, son Callum and daughter Lilian. His most recent novel, A Private Man, was critically acclaimed and was shortlisted for the Commomwealth Prize and the Tasmanian Premier’s Award.

Reviews

[Erin Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would love an update, I feel like a lot has changed since tho came out

[Anton van den Berg · Rating 5 out of 5]

If small is beautiful, big is just bloody ugly.

You cannot help but admire the scale and efficiency by which Woolies and Coles have infiltrated our lives. Dependence? Seduction? Addiction? Call it what you like, but like most addictions, it comes at a price - as this book outlines.

[Fabio · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll be shopping at my local shops.

[Melita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Knox makes some salient points.

[Tea · Rating 5 out of 5]

🤢

[Magdalen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good insight into the duopoly of Woolworths and Coles and the sobering consequences of low prices for the customers.

[Nick Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A CR2 of 70 is not healthy. The code of conduct is a rap sheet.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read a precursor of this book in a longer-form essay Knox published in the Monthly magazine, and heard talks he has given about the supermarkets and their dominance in Australia – and I certainly found the book lived up to my anticipation. It’s a vital book for all Australians to read because it is so impossible to make purchasing decisions without somehow using a part of one of the “Big Two.” Likewise Brits and Americans will recognise the dominance of the huge-chain supermarkets and hopefully see the Australian situation as a lesson to be learned about the dangers of not taking action while the snowball is still small.

Reading some of the other reviews, I can understand why some people might be a little frustrated Knox didn’t go into the level of detail you might want from an investigative journalist, however given the vigour and resources the two companies put into pursuing and defending legal cases, I can understand why Knox kept to the edges and relied on insiders’ discussions.

I actually found the central thesis to be less that the two supermarket giants and those who drive them are unmitigated evil, but rather we have allowed a situation where we as consumers have to work hard to avoid using their stores, and to defend the suppliers. Knox doesn’t blame us for wanting cheaper milk, but we needed to speak up before the milk industry was completely locked into the no-win supply situation.

I would have liked more of a conclusion – I have read other books in this series which are brief illuminations on a topic in Australian culture, but there is not really the space for too many conclusions or recommendations. I have heard Knox answer (with plenty of suggestions) questions about the options consumers might have which aren’t somehow involved in “the Big Two” – but I can see that doing this within the book might have seemed like advertising or suspect of having other interests in covering this material. So I can understand why there wasn’t a big discussion of how people can become engaged and take some form of action, however it felt a little abrupt in its ending.

[Oanh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not enlightening as such because, having paid attention to the ACCC's prosecution of Coles and having family members who farm, I was already aware of much of the terribleness of Colesworth. Nevertheless, an important and well written book.

I'm a but disappointed it doesn't end with a call to arms ( I love calls to arms!) or proffer ideas for solutions (except an unexplored legal one to which I say: nope. The law is not a vehicle for change, or at the very least is a very clumsy one.)

[Sean Finn · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great read.

This is a short and important book for Australians to read. It details unethical practices by the nations favourite super markets and their affiliated companies under the respective Wesfarmers, Coles Group and Woolworths.

This gripping read packs elevated punch as it relates to you and our fellow countrymen.

It is my great pleasure to award five stars in the hope that I may influence another to be exposed to an uncomfortable reality.

[Mike Bayly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting about how big business has taken over the core consumer retail industry of Australia. Very different landscape to NZ

[Amanda Witt]

An eyeopener into how the two major supermarket chains have slowly gained control of not just supermarkets, but hardware, with Bunnings/Masters, service stations, liquor outlets (Dan Murphys/BWS)and how they scare away or eliminate little corner shops and the competition in suburbs and country towns.

[Emory Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting look into the world of Coles and Woolworths. It was very factual and logical when talking about what they've achieved and how they have achieved it.

[Ashleigh Eaves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well researched and persuasive

[Glenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only skims the surface, but insightful nonetheless.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good for a quick read. Written to be understandable to those with no knowledge of economics.

[Louise Omer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I challenge you to read this book - you'll never think about supermarkets again.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, great research by Knox and is probably more relevant today than when Knox wrote the book.