Heather du Plessis-Allan: I'm hoping the next supermarket call might be more promising

There's a very big call on the supermarkets today - the Grocery Commissioner has accused them of ripping us off.

Now, a lot of people will probably agree with that and think - what of it?

But there's a difference between you or I feeling ripped off when you’re standing in front of the olive oil looking at a price of $30 and someone like the Grocery Commissioner saying it out loud on the radio.

It's a very big call - and for someone like him to do that, he's got to have the proof. And he reckons he does.

It's been two years since the last Government starting cracking down on supermarkets, but instead of things getting better, they're getting worse.

The margins that supermarkets are making off of us are going up, they're not paying their suppliers a hell of a lot more, but they're charging you and I a hell of a lot more. That's the opposite of what's supposed to happen.

Which is to say - that crackdown didn't work.

And that is no surprise to anyone with half a brain who was watching what the last Government did. The minister was David Clark - yes, the mountain-biker himself - and what he did to fix the grocery system was to set up the Grocery Commissioner, bring in a mandatory code of conduct, put in compulsory unit pricing and forced more transparent loyalty schemes.

Who thought that was going to make a difference? It doesn't take a rocket scientist to tell you that wasn't going to change anything. We said on this very show that that ain't gonna change nothing. And here we are - it didn't work.

Now I'm not pessimistic about this. Because out of all the things that David the bike rider did that might make a difference - he did set up the Grocery Commissioner.

And there is nothing like personal ambition and reputation to motivate someone.

And I get the feeling Pierre van Heerden might realise he needs to get this right for his own sake and his own reputation.

So I suspect that what comes next might be a bit more promising. And I'm taking heart from the strong language he’s used today.

But as always... time will tell.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's a very very big call on the supermarkets today.
The Grocery Commissioner has accused them of ripping us off. Now,
a lot of people will probably agree with that and
will think, yeah, well, what of it. He's right, But
there is a difference between you or I feeling ripped
off when we're standing in front of the olive oil
and looking at a price of thirty bucks. You feeling
ripped off and turning to the person next to you

(00:21):
and saying I'm getting ripped off, as a completely different
scenario from someone like the grocery Commissioner saying we're getting
ripped off and saying it on the radio. It's a
very very big call for someone like him to do that.
He's got to have proof, and he reckons he does.
It's been two years since the last government started cracking
down on supermarkets, but instead of things getting better in

(00:41):
the last couple of years, they're actually getting worse. The
margins that supermarkets are making of us are going up.
They're not paying their supply as a hell of a
lot more, but they are certainly charging you and I
a hell of a lot more that was not supposed
to happen. That is the opposite of what we're supposed
to happen. Just to say the crackdown didn't work, now,
that's not a surprise to anyone with half a brain

(01:02):
who was watching what the last government did, because the
minister was David Clark, Yes, David who loves a mountain
biker Clark. It was him, And what he did to
fix the grocery system was he set up a grocery commissioner.
He brought in a mandatory code of conduct, He put
compulsory unit pricing on groceries, and he forced more transparent
loyalty schemes. I mean, hoo, thought that was going to

(01:24):
make a difference. Didn't make a rocket scientist to tell
you that ain't going to change nothing. In fact, on
this very show we said it ain't going to change nothing,
it's not going to work, and look, wow, here we
are it didn't work. Now. Actually, I'm not pessimistic about
the situation right because it was clear that this I'd
baked this in. What I'm thinking though, of all the
things that David the bike rider might have done, did

(01:44):
or rather did that might make a difference, he did
set up the grocery commissioner, and there's nothing like personal
ambition and reputation to motivate someone, And I get the
feeling that Pia van Hiden might realize that he actually
does need to get this right and sort this out
for his own sake, for his own reputation as the
first guy to hold the job. So I suspect that
whatever comes next, whatever he wants to do in order

(02:07):
to fix the situation, may in fact be more promising.
And I am taking heart from the strong language that
he's used today saying we are being ripped off, but
as always, time will tell. For more from Heather Duplessy
Allen Drive, listen live to news Talks it'd be from
four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio