The Big Two: winemakers squeezed from both sides by Coles and Woolworths
When dealing with the Liquorlands and Dan Murphys of this world, winemakers can be stuck between a rock and a hard place. The big retailers Coles and Woolworths maintain a strict pricing regime that squeezes suppliers from multiple angles. Zacharias Szumer investigates the liquor oligopoly. Heading into the Easter long weekend, alcohol retail giant Dan Murphy’s has been reminding Australians of its “unbeatable offers”. “Found it cheaper? We’ll beat it,” reads one of the ads in the company’s trademark white and green colours. However, industry sources say that suppliers effectively bear the cost of such lowest-price guarantees, which are forcing competitors to
