The Lid's been lifted on the Supermarket Cesspit

[old man emu]

For weeks and months there have been rumblings about market manipulation by the supermarkets, especially ColesWorths. Several non-government investigations have been/are underway. The State and Federal governments are under pressure to respond to the findings of the ACCC and various tate Fair Trading bodies. On Monday, the ABC broadcast a Four Corners piece on the influence supermarkets have, not only on producers, but on land acquisitions that are aimed at blocking out competitors from establishing supermarkets in the same shopping precincts.

 

During the Four Corners programme, the CEO of Woolworths was being interviewed, during which he made flippant remarks about an expert in retailing. Later in the same interview, when a question got a bit close to the bone, he spat the dummy and walked out. One of his assistants asked the interviewer to "take five" while the CEO was spoken to and returned to complete the interview. In the same programme, the CEO of Coles was interviewed, and her responses came straight form "How to beat around the bush, but sound sincere".

 

Today comes the news that the CEO of Woolworths has "retired". This was something that was allegedly planned some time ago, but the Stock Market was not told about it. Woolworths shares took a dive on receipt of the announcement. Tonight, the ABC broadcast an interview with the recently retired head of the ACCC, Alan Fells, in which he raises the thought that the Woolworths CEO jumped ship before he could be called before a Government inquiry. A little bit reJoyce, don't you think?

 

[old man emu]

And now the satirical look at the results of these inquiries.

 

 

[facthunter]

The worst apology goes like. I'm sorry that what I did Offended you.    Nev

[A Likely Story]

As a community , we need to return to local providers and string bags I recon. A national boycott of Colesworth is well overdue. It is the combination of absent-mindedness, laziness, and  a busy work schedule that inhibits me ( and I suspect , most of us) from following my own advice consistently.

[spenaroo]

Drakes and Foodland here in SA seem to be doing a good job against them here is South Australia.

I normally shop at them as they have a better variety and brands then colesworth (stock local brands over the big labels).
it is more expensive - but I certainly think its worth the extra in taste and quality.

note these stores are still independently operated/owned.

 

I think the solution is to use the laws they created for pharmacy's.

Make it so no individual/trust/corporation can own more then 6 stores.

 

colesworth can then use the same model as the others and franchise it out - which gives an added layer of franchisees to fight against corporate

give them a 5 year amnesty period to change to a new model. and funnel the existing supermarkets to investors - hopefully pulling some out of the housing market - a double win

 

Edited February 22 by spenaroo

[facthunter]

I don't think franchising has helped the Pharmacy situation. They use their numbers politically for their OWN power not the customers benefit.  Nev

[spenaroo]

14 minutes ago, facthunter said:

I don't think franchising has helped the Pharmacy situation. They use their numbers politically for their OWN power not the customers benefit.  Nev

Yeah, that's more a union thing.

sorry "council or guild" 

from what I've heard its worse then the CFMEU and the control it has over the Victorian building industry.

[facthunter]

They had to be forcibly removed from the Gallery of the lower house recently. SIGNED in and vouched for  but the LNP. THEY must be a GOOD Guild. Imagine the rage if it was the CFMEU.  Nev

[old man emu]

Regarding ColesWorths, we talk about their profits, but for whom are those profits being made? I think that the list of shareholders of both companies would make for interesting reading. And I wonder how much of the stock do the banks own. I reckon that only a small portion of the shares are held by individual, self-funded superannuants.

[Jerry_Atrick]

I think Wesfarmers owns coles as well as Bunnings and I presume Kmart https://au.finance.yahoo.com/quote/WES.AX/holders

 

 

You'll find pretty much the same top shareholders have Woolies: https://au.finance.yahoo.com/quote/WOW.AX/holders

[old man emu]

Not too many Pitt Street ot Hoddle Grid addresses amongst the shareholders of Wesfarmers.  

[Jerry_Atrick]

I was wrong about Coles; they were spun off by Wesfarmers in 2018. Here is there breakdown: https://au.finance.yahoo.com/quote/COL.AX/holders

 

Edit: That may be out of date.. I don' normally post my market terminal data, but according to it, State Street own almost 13%.. I would normally use them as my go to...

 

 

 

Also for woolies:

 

Edited February 22 by Jerry_Atrick

[onetrack]

Here's an interesting examination of Coles and Woolworths modus operandi, when it comes to financing their purchases. The bloke who did the analysis is a former accountant, but is now a farmer.

 

"Hi Dxxxx ...

 

Your comments on this caught my eye, and as a former accountant, I had to take a look at the 2023 Annual reports of Coles and Woolworths. In the following observations, in order to extract the relevant information, in the case of Coles, I have to include the Liquor division with Supermarkets; in the case of Woolworths, I can only look at their consolidated financials. Here is what I have found:

 

Coles (Supermarkets and Liquor)
Sales $41 Billion
Gross margin 26%
Cost of sales $30.3 Billion
Net profit before tax $1.5 Billion
Trade Payables (outstanding supplier payments) $5.7 Billion ( Known as no cost working capital )

No. of days supplier payments outstanding = 69

If suppliers were paid on a 7-day basis, it would require funding of $5.1 Billion. If they financed this by borrowings at, say 8%, it would cost them $410 Million, reducing their NPBT to $1.1Billion (from $1.5 Billion)

If they financed this through a capital raising, it would reduce their EPS (earnings per share), Dividend ratio, P/E (price to earnings ratio), resulting in a reduction in their share price.

 

Woolworths: (all operations)
Sales $64 Billion
Gross margin 26%
Cost of sales $47.4 Billion
Net Profit before Tax $2.4 Billion
Trade Payables $7.6 Billion

No. of days supplier payments outstanding = 59

If suppliers were paid on a 7 day basis it would require funding of $6.7 Billion. If they financed this by borrowings at say 8% it would cost them $540 Million, reducing their NPBT to $1.9 Billion (from 2.4 Billion)

If by capital raising, same impact as for Coles.

 

Given Coles has only $600 Million cash on hand, and Woolworths has $1.135 Billion, neither of which makes much of a dent in the working capital required ($11.8 Billion). Their only other option (apart from borrowings or capital raising) is to sell assets or reduce inventories.

Suppliers do not have a hope in hell of even getting close to a 7-day payment (unless they cop a hefty early settlement discount)

Hope your readers find this of some interest. (I will go back to Farming now).

 

Mxxx."

 

Edited March 1 by onetrack

[old man emu]

Why should supplier complain? They are getting paid within the usual business payment time of 90 days. The suppliers should be proud to be financing the supermarkets.

[onetrack]

But 90 days is not the specified business payment time. The payment time is normally between payment upon delivery, up to 30 days maximum.

 

The fact that so many businesses are hung out to dry by bankruptcies of larger businesses that they are supplying, is invariably related to the length of time the supplier businesses take to get paid.

 

Try getting fuel on 30 day or 90 day terms, when you operate a service station! Payment for fuel delivered is taken from your servo bank account, before the tanker even leaves your servo driveway!

[spacesailor]

That is what the Tax Office,  did to a small retailer .

Refused to allow. Their ' 90 day trading ' time, for paying. a tax payment .

24 hour to pay. Or the " T O " locks your business doors .

I miss that business every time, I have to go ' out of my area ' to buy

A mechanical part .

spacesailor

 

[old man emu]

3 hours ago, onetrack said:

90 days is not the specified business payment time.

Not specified as such by the supplier, but practised by the purchaser.

[facthunter]

Once you have enough good customers just say NO MORE to the ones who use you as a bank.. A sign on the office at the Garage says " WE have an arrangement with OUR BANK. They don't FIX Cars and WE don't lend money".  Nev

[spacesailor]

Correction 

There was no ,time/ date specified. 

Only " we are waiting to receive payments " .

Not for the " Tac Office " the doors were padlocked the folling morning. 

And the public told " they can be arrested " ( by police enforcers) .

spacesailor