RETAIL TRADE – AUSTRALIA

Booktopia pushes ahead with plans for $150m IPO

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 : 30-Mar-16

Australian online book retailer Booktopia may pursue a sharemarket float in the second half of 2016. CEO Tony Nash says the bulk of proceeds from the proposed IPO will be used to finance Booktopia’s expansion plans and invested in its supply chain processes. Booktopia’s sales are forecast to exceed $A100m in 2017, and Nash is not unduly concerned about competition from The Book Depository, which is owned by Amazon.

CORPORATES
BOOKTOPIA PTY LTD, THE BOOK DEPOSITORY LIMITED, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, BOOKWORLD, PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE, ORD MINNETT GROUP LIMITED, MORGANS FINANCIAL LIMITED, TEMPLE AND WEBSTER GROUP LIMITED – ASX TPW, SURFSTITCH GROUP LIMITED – ASX SRF, IBISWORLD PTY LTD

Woolworths needs to fix more than its Homebrands

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 : 30-Mar-16

Marketing Focus’s Barry Urquhart says Woolworths will need to market a change in branding for its entry-level private-label products in the same way it markets national brands. Woolworths intends to phase out the Homebrand name in favour of Essentials, in a bid to counter perceptions that the private-label products of rival grocery chains are of better quality. Melbourne Business School’s Mark Ritson says Woolworths should also seek to reposition its other private-label brands.

CORPORATES
WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, MARKETING FOCUS PTY LTD, MELBOURNE BUSINESS SCHOOL, PRINCIPALS, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, ALDI STORES SUPERMARKETS PTY LTD

Woolworths turns back on Homebrand

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 18 : 29-Mar-16

Australian-listed Woolworths will drop the Homebrand name for its entry-level range of private label products. The branding will be phased out in favour of the similarly-priced Essentials brand, in order to counter the widely-held view that the generic products of rivals Coles and Aldi offer better quality. Homebrand was launched in 1983, and currently features a much broader range of products than the Essentials range. About $A1.4bn worth of Homebrand products are sold each year.

CORPORATES
WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, ALDI STORES SUPERMARKETS PTY LTD, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, CAPILANO HONEY LIMITED – ASX CZZ, BEECHWORTH HONEY

Coles boss wants enterprise law ‘rethink’

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Original article by Catie Low
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 63 : 24-Mar-16

A leading retail executive says Australia’s workplace laws are too complex and outdated. Coles MD John Durkan told an American Chamber of Commerce in Australia event on 23 March 2016 that the company’s latest enterprise agreement was hijacked by a casual worker who challenged it in court, despite overwhelming support for the agreement among Coles workers.

CORPORATES
COLES GROUP LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, ALDI STORES SUPERMARKETS PTY LTD, AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN AUSTRALIA, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

7-Eleven still rorting workers, says CEO

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Original article by Mathew Dunckley
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 21-Mar-16

Former Skilled Group boss Angus McKay says addressing problems with 7-Eleven’s corporate culture will be one of his priorities as the convenience store chain’s new CEO. McKay has conceded that wage exploitation is most likely still an issue at some stores, but he has committed to completely eliminating such practices. He also concedes that the wages scandal has tarnished 7-Eleven’s reputation among consumers.

CORPORATES
7-ELEVEN STORES PTY LTD, SKILLED GROUP LIMITED, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, FOSTER’S GROUP LIMITED, DIAGEO AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Dick Smith customers get ‘opt-out’ offer

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 : 16-Mar-16

Kogan’s acquisition of Dick Smith Holdings’ online business includes a database of about one million members of its customer loyalty program. Ferrier Hodgson, acting as receivers and managers of Dick Smith, has advised the failed group’s customers that they must request the removal of their personal details from the database by 22 March 2016 if they do not want to receive offers from Kogan. The company’s founder, Ruslan Kogan, plans to undertake a $A300m IPO.

CORPORATES
DICK SMITH HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX DSH, KOGAN TECHNOLOGIES PTY LTD, FERRIER HODGSON AND COMPANY, HARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX HVN, JB HI-FI LIMITED – ASX JBH

Dick Smith brand to be resurrected by e-commerce pioneer

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 18 : 15-Mar-16

Australian businessman Ruslan Kogan has bought Dick Smith Holdings’ intellectual property through an auction run by the receiver of the failed consumer electronics retailer. The size of the deal has not been disclosed. The site DickSmith.com.au will operate independently of Kogan.com. Kogan wants to list his company on the Australian stock exchange and raise $A300 million from investors.

CORPORATES
KOGAN TECHNOLOGIES PTY LTD, DICK SMITH HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX DSH, FERRIER HODGSON AND COMPANY, HARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX HVN, JB HI-FI LIMITED – ASX JBH, KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Coles slammed over pay rorts

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Original article by Michael Owen
The Australian – Page: 4 : 10-Mar-16

Australia’s Fair Work Ombudsman Natalie James has criticised Coles for failing to ensure that supermarket trolley collectors employed by sub-contractors were being paid their full wages. She says large companies can expect to be held accountable for wage exploitation in all levels of the supply chain. The FWO has successfully prosecuted two trolley collection businesses that underpaid staff in Adelaide. Coles has also agreed to provide the employees with substantial back pay.

CORPORATES
COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, STARLINK OPERATIONS GROUP PTY LTD

Inside the blast zone: Foodland puts out the welcome mat for Aldi

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Original article by Simon Evans
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 2-Mar-16

Discount supermarket chain Aldi opened its first Adelaide stores in early 2016, and it will open another five during March. Foodland has been "extremely aggressive" in defending its market share in areas where Aldi has opened a store, according to CEO Con Sciacca. South Australia-based Foodland argues that it has more scope to reduce grocery prices at individual stores than national rivals Woolworths and Coles. Foodland’s market share in the state is just below that of Coles and Woolworths.

CORPORATES
FOODLAND AUSTRALIA LIMITED, ALDI STORES SUPERMARKETS PTY LTD, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, METCASH LIMITED – ASX MTS, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, MASTERS HOME IMPROVEMENT AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Harvey Norman takes a look at Dick Smith’s Move stores

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 1-Mar-16

The financial accounts of Dick Smith Holdings show that it posted a loss of $A60.5m in November 2015 and $A100.3m in December. Meanwhile, rival retailer Harvey Norman has indicated that it might be interested in taking over Dick Smith’s four Move stores that are located at airports. Executive chairman Gerry Harvey says he usually shuns airport stores due to high rents and overheads, adding that he would only be interested in taking over the Move leases if the stores are profitable.

CORPORATES
DICK SMITH HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX DSH, MOVE, HARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX HVN, FERRIER HODGSON AND COMPANY, SYDNEY AIRPORT – ASX SYD, CLIVE PEETERS, RICK HART DISCOUNTS