Claire Bull

Really informative report from Anna Forster (The Purpose Agents) and Rosalea Catterson (Power Retail), highlighting some of the most powerful social and environmental initiatives in the Australian Market. As always, it’s great to see Reebelo getting a mention alongside various prestigious brands (kudos to our team in AU 🇦🇺), but most importantly I love this form of shared-learning. As sustainability is a topic we are all responsible for, any examples of best practice can help us address it more proficiently as a collective 🤝 𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭: 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝟒 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞-𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐧: 1. Environmental - Responsible use and management of natural resources.  2. Economic - Ensuring equitable distribution of resources & opportunities. 3. Social - The wellbeing and quality of life of individuals and communities. 4. Technological - Using tech to support human wellbeing & sustainability. Extending the useful life of the products we consume ticks every one of those boxes in various ways, hence why I’m such an advocate for sustainable user-ship. Whether you choose to buy new or refurbished products, there are various things you can do in order to make your use-cycle more sustainable. Download the full report below. #sustainability #circulareconomy #bestpractice #innovation #circularity #information #sharedlearning #technology #usership #reuse #impact

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🛒 Supermarket Pricing Practices Under Scrutiny: What It Means for Australian Consumers Speaking on 3AW, Country Hour ABC, The World Today, 2BC. Featured on Yahoo, AAP Network The recent supermarket inquiry has revealed concerning issues in Australia's grocery sector, highlighting the financial challenges many families face when purchasing basic necessities. Key points: The ACCC has uncovered evidence suggesting major supermarkets may have been inflating prices while creating the illusion of discounts. This revelation calls for greater transparency in grocery pricing. The Supermarket Inquiry recommended that new mandatory rules for the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct be implemented. Trust between consumers and retailers is at stake, and action is necessary to protect Australian families. Concerns arise that these pricing strategies may have contributed to overall inflation. My thoughts: The ACCC's findings confirm what many consumers have long suspected about deceptive discount pricing. It's crucial that we take immediate action to protect Australian families and ensure they can access affordable groceries without fear of being misled. These practices affect individual households and may have broader economic implications. Their potential contribution to inflation is a serious concern that warrants further investigation and action. Economics @RMIT RMIT College of Business and Law #AustralianRetail #ConsumerRights #GroceryPricing #ACCC #EconomicPolicy Article source:

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🛒 Comparison of retailers' and suppliers' margins in Australian Grocery Retail. Over the last year, I've been commenting extensively on the government's inquiry into the Australian supermarkets' pricing practices. It's important to note that I have no vested interest in defending either retailers or suppliers. I work with both of them and do my part in helping them to build sustainable business models and establish mutually beneficial partnerships, instead of fighting with each other. As much as possible, I always try to stay unbiased and call things as I see them. And the only way I know how to do it, is to use all the available data while forming my opinion. If I see that retailers might not do the right things by suppliers or Australian consumers, I will call it out. The same applies to suppliers and their business practices. That being said, I finally found some time to prepare one slide comparing retailers' and suppliers' margins and their change versus year ago. The slide is supplemented by my thoughts and the proposed logic. Your interpretation is up to you. Stay unbiased, stay informed! 🤝 #retail #fmcg

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With every dollar counting more than ever, the drinks Aussies choose—and the ones they leave behind—will transform the beverage aisle overnight. Understanding why some drinks are flying off shelves and others are grounded is how you’ll keep your brand relevant. If you want to know which drinks are dropping into trolleys and which are being left behind, join us for our 30-minute webinar, How to DRINK your way OUT of a RECESSION. In this live fast-paced session, you’ll discover: 💰 How consumers are reshaping their beverage shopping habits—and what that means for your brand 💰 The beverage categories most vulnerable to the rising cost of living—and those that are thriving 💰 Why stockpiling might be your new best friend—and how to leverage it 💰 The recession-proof drink categories—and the ones you should worry about 💰 What’s happening with brand loyalty in the beverage sector and how it could impact your strategy 💰 If consumers are sticking with what they know or are open to new options 💰 The “nice-to-haves” that people are and aren’t still buying Webinar Details: Date: Wednesday 18th September 2024 Time: 12.30 pm to 1.00 pm Medium: Zoom webinar (recording available for all registrants) If you haven’t registered yet, secure your spot here ⇒ https://lnkd.in/gaGVzYG2 Feel free to share this with your team—they won’t want to miss these insights, either. Looking forward to seeing you there! P.S. I’m especially excited to have Morgan Loveridge on our panel. As Marketing Manager Future Brands at Suntory Beverage & Food APAC, Morgan specialises in brand management and innovation. You won’t want to miss hearing her perspective! #fmcg #consumerinsights #consumerbehavior #beverageindustry #beverages

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The Australian grocery retail sector is an interesting case of market power playing out, across multiple dimensions. Pricing power of retailers is a clear concern, as is misleading or deceptive price discount marketing. Procurement power of retailers, to squeeze suppliers is a clear concern. This has been a frequent complaint with little done over the years. Barriers to entry through exploitation of land use regulations is an area of concern. Indeed, land use regulations have consistently acted as brakes on market competition across multiple sectors. The elephant in the room ultimately is structural concentration. #marketpower #supplychains

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Scope 3 is my favourite topic .. and retail was my jam for a third of my career. There are so many opportunities to enhance sustainability and circularity. I encourage anyone who can make a difference in retail supply chains to join the incredible Loreto Gutierrez for this amazing initiative. It’s awesome to see Salesforce lean in so much on sustainability, way to go living your values :) #climateaction #sustainableretail m

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⏱️are we in a time warp ⏱️ It’s a bit confronting to admit that I’ve been around this game long enough to have seen this same drama play out before. History doesn’t repeat itself, it Rhymes right? Well, here we go again. 20 years ago it was Organic Now it’s Regenerative. Something has to change… that’s why I started Backstory Let me tell you how this one plays out, and maybe we can collectively try to chart a different path forward? ✅1) cottage industry goes mainstream ✅2) early adopter customers are excited and buy it. It gets natural ground swell ✅3) big business realizes there’s margin in it. So there’s an arms race for the margin 4) regulators decide on an enforceable definition. 5)this then means that the nuance gets lost, often times not applicable 6) big business figures out how to game it 7) consumers get wind that all is not as it seems… (due to blunt instrument called an audit and the need to define something down, so much that it loses meaning and usefulness as agriculture is contextual and difficult to compare and audit) 8) consumers lose trust 9) new trust mark emerges …. 10) repeat steps 1-9 So either we accept we are in this merry go round of trust cycles or we decide to do things differently. I think we are ready for a change. If you got this far and you’re curious how we are solving this. Here’s a few ways 1) R&D into tech to support the consumer to be able to understand trust marks (as it stands, you need to be a farmer or an auditor to make head or tail of some of these) 2) making it easy for brands to back up their trust marks and claims with evidence … to be used in auditing but also in educating and connecting with the end consumer.

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As a marketing professional I love FMCG products and I am a sucker for a good claim, however I certainly side with the ACCC on this one. I do try to purchase home compostable packaging and I had picked this up wondering how they managed to repurpose so much ocean plastic. Then read the fine print, put it back on the shelf. If you are in marketing, watch out for #greenwashing and if you need fine print to get the correct message across then re-think what you are trying to do. And work closely with your #legalteam. 💥 This article provides a good summary if you are interested. 👇 #greenwashing #warning https://loom.ly/sqrj6b8

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We thought we’d round out the debate about the normalization of retail spending in Australia following our recent post (https://lnkd.in/gfgHuuVA). Our analysis of demand over the past five years in non-food retail highlights clear divergence across categories. Household goods categories like hardware, furniture and electronics have had their COVID-19 boom and bust. However, recreational goods, clothing and footwear have seen elevated volumes per capita over the past five years and may see weaker volumes over the next year, unless innovation or fashion trends support ongoing demand growth. https://lnkd.in/g9rhdbMU

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Great to see the connection between consumer and producer starting to happen. What is regenerative you ask? Well good news - you can now find out. Backstory’s Prove solution is part of ensuring that data exists to help you better understand what it means to be buying food from farms that are in a state of regeneration.

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New Zealand's small-to-medium manufacturing firms are witnessing a remarkable rebound, achieving their best profit margins since 2021. Six dynamic sectors, from food products to essential health and medical supplies, are leading the charge with standout performances in the last quarter. It’s heartening to see a solid 16% increase in profit margins across the board, signalling stronger demand and more stable supply chains.   Despite facing global challenges, Kiwi manufacturers are showing resilience and innovation. #NewZealandManufacturing #BusinessGrowth  

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Ever had a chat with “James” from the Australian Wine Club? 😅🍷 (I had the "pleasure" recently and it was full on creepy) AI-powered voice callers like James have been stirring the pot lately. The Wine Group (aka Oak Road Estate) faced major backlash for using James to aggressively push wine subscriptions, leaving many feeling harassed and creeped out by his overly friendly yet persistent calls. Despite fines from the ACMA for breaching telemarketing laws, it seems James just won't take the hint! This raises a bigger question – as AI voices get more lifelike, how can we ensure they’re used responsibly for marketing? Have you had any unexpected encounters with AI callers? Share your thoughts – and let’s hope we don't get a call from James while we're at it! (Blog post on broader topics of AI voice agents for uses such as lead qualification coming very soon) #AI #Telemarketing #TechEthics #AIVoiceAgents

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These are great guidelines from Wholegrain Digital and I think especially for two way communication such as voice and messaging where you could believe you are in real-time communication with a real person. It seems obvious now that it's going to get harder to tell quickly. Another thing that Lex Fridman raised on a podcast this week with Roman Yampolskiy on the 'Dangers of Superintelligent AI' is how powerful AI is likely to become at persuasion. There are people now who've made serious money from their human powers of persuasion and influence and super intelligent AI could put this power (or more power) into the hands of those using it for their own gain.

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This morning on Radio 4BC Brisbane Pty Limited, we dove into some fascinating trends in Australian consumer spending. Here are the key takeaways: Coffee Cutbacks, Weekend Splurges. Soaring living costs are causing Australians to tighten their belts, with data revealing a dip to pre-pandemic levels between 7am and 11am on weekdays in purchases from cafes and other food and beverage outlets. Interestingly, transactions during weekends have seen a rise. This points towards a changing spending pattern, with Australians choosing to indulge less frequently and typically with family and friends, rather than solo weekday treats. Retail Struggles, Experience Takes Centre Stage. Despite a small rise in April sales, overall consumer spending in retail remains sluggish. This cautious approach translates to a decline in non-essential purchases, leading retailers to work harder than ever to attract customers. With centres investing more and promoting experience-based retail, with the likes of Up Town's (formerly MYER) Dopamine Land, Queens Plaza's short run pop up interactive NBA Exhibition and Garden City's ever popular 8 Street. The discussion also touched on the move towards cashless transactions. While electronic payments offer convenience, cash remains crucial during emergencies like storms or outages. Australians are making significantly more electronic transactions today (around 650 per year) compared to a decade ago (around 300). The pandemic's emphasis on contactless payments and the rise of online shopping accelerated this shift. While digital payments are undeniable, cash still holds value. It's a matter of finding the right balance. As the saying goes, "use it or lose it!" Listen to the conversation here: https://lnkd.in/gzdUgNXZ #retail #consumer #costofliving #experientialretail #cashless

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🛒 The Aldi effect: is Aldi posing a big threat to Coles and Woolworths? Few weeks ago, ABC released a video and an article discussing the growth of Aldi in Australia, and assessing whether Aldi possesses a threat to our major supermarket chains Coles and Woolworths. There is absolutely no doubts that ever since their launch in Australian market back in 2001, Aldi is doing an amazing job delivering value to the industry and all stakeholders. Over the years, they won multiple awards as the best supermarket chain in the country, widely acknowledged by many suppliers as the best grocery chain to work with, and embraced and loved by Australian consumers for providing tangible value and doing it in a different way. Good different. Aldi currently holds around 10.5% of the market, and is #4 grocery retailer in the country by number of stores. The list goes like this: 🟠 IGA = 1,280 stores 🟢 Woolworths = 1,112 stores 🔴 Coles = 858 stores 🔵 Aldi = 598 stores 🔵 Aldi been growing its presence in Australian market very rapidly, adding on average over 25 stores per annum since 2001. In 2016 alone, they opened an impressive 65 new stores. However, over the last 3-4 years, the pace of opening new stores has slowed down quite significantly - to a less than 6 stores per annum. It’s getting harder and harder for Aldi to find good places to open more stores, considering constraints of their supply chain and fierce competition from majors. 🔴 Meanwhile, after a decade of focusing on refurbishing existing stores more than opening new ones, over the last few years, Coles has accelerated its expansion and opening more than twice as many new stores as Aldi does. So, take the narrative of “Aldi is set to overtake Coles in the number of stores” that you hear in the video with a grain of salt. 🧮 Mathematically speaking, if we assume that both chains will continue to grow their stores footprint with the average rate of the last 25 years, it will take Aldi almost 14 years to overtake Coles. But if we take last 3-4 years as a proxi, there is no point in the future where Aldi will have more stores than Coles. Unless, of course, something changes dramatically. Also, the narrative of Aldi having a global buying power is only half true. True for non-perishable staples, but when it comes to all fresh categories, just like every other chain, Aldi is trying to source products mostly locally. And the battleground for Australian shoppers is fresh categories. Other than that, the video and the article provide some good insights and food for thought. Here’s the link to the article if you want to read more - https://lnkd.in/g53ka9MY Stay informed. 🤝 #retail #fmcg

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Important Reminder for Consumer Brands Selling Online in Australia. Marketplaces matter. Here's the first of 2 videos on why. Even if you are on marketplaces now, there's a risk you are underestimating their importance. This video covers... ❤️ Why Consumers Love Buying on Marketplaces 🗺️ The Customer Journey and the role of Marketplaces 🛒 Sell where shoppers are _ _ _ _ _ _. (you'll find out in the video 😀) Did I miss anything? Do you think marketplaces matter? ------------------ Hi I'm Hamish I run an Amazon Specialist Agency, helping consumer brands unlock their full potential on Amazon in Australia and internationally. If you like this post and would like to know more... Ring the 🔔 on my Profile to receive my content directly in your LinkedIn Notifications Tab.

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ICYMI : Woolworths Supermarkets has provided $7m in funding to Seedlab Australia. The objective of WW support to Seedlab is continue to assist them to guide the efforts of small companies, helping them more effectively engage and present product offerings to Woolworths Supermarkets. I dont share this item as a criticism of Woolies or Seedlab but merely to say as an "Old Woolworthian" shame that category buyers arent being skilled and/or resourced to help small Australian suppliers directly. IMHO career development for category buyers( all retail companies) should include skills training on supplier support and engagment, no matter what the size of the supplier. #Woolworths #Smallsupplierinitative #Enhancingengagment

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Recent reports on Coles and Woolworths pricing indicate repeated use of high-low pricing patterns. The examples include chocolates and Tim Tams which the report states frequently alternates between high and low prices. A notable listed example in the report is Cadbury Favourites which are $22 one week and $11 the next, with the cycle repeating over months. For those unfamiliar with High-Low pricing, this is a widely used pricing tactic that relies on a mix of standard and discount weeks. It combines price skimming and loss leader tactics, temporarily lowering prices during promotions to create a sense of urgency and drive store traffic. During “high” weeks, products are sold at their full, regular prices, while in “low” weeks, they’re temporarily discounted and promoted as “specials.” The goal is to keep consumers watching for deals and returning to their stores, often fostering a form of loyalty through regular promotions. This pricing model is not unique to Coles and Woolworths, as many large retailers use it. However, the lack of transparency in this pricing approach brings up concerns about consumer rights. Customers are unable to track price histories, leaving them unsure if they’re getting a genuine deal. Additionally, it remains unclear whether these price fluctuations reflect real supply and demand or if they serve to crowd out smaller competitors. The ACCC’s investigation into these pricing practices is attempting to clarify the prolific usage of such pricing tactics and their impact on consumer trust and spending.

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The focus on Retail Trade is normally month-to-month. But what would happen if you looked over the past 5 years instead? Here's a quick video with the answers. #retailtrade #ausecon #abs #statistics #costofliving

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