9th February 2014 (Updated 11 February 2014)
BACKGROUND
In a tweet to me @Coles said, “around 90{17ac88c265afb328fa89088ab635a2a63864fdefdd7caa0964376053e8ea14b3} of our Coles Brand Food and drink is Australian made”. I asked them to “confirm for me that about 90{17ac88c265afb328fa89088ab635a2a63864fdefdd7caa0964376053e8ea14b3} of Coles own brands are 100{17ac88c265afb328fa89088ab635a2a63864fdefdd7caa0964376053e8ea14b3} Aus product.” In response they politely referred me to their website. Such detail of information is not available on their website.
@adropex around 90% of our Coles brand food and drink is Australian made and around 96% of our fresh fruit and veg is locally grown.
— Coles Supermarkets (@Coles) February 7, 2014
Given the situation with SPCA and the dominant market share (approx 80{17ac88c265afb328fa89088ab635a2a63864fdefdd7caa0964376053e8ea14b3}) of Coles and Woolworths I got curious as to whether this duopoly has a responsibility in the demise of Australian products and SPCA itself. I did a quick but not definitive survey, of some products to get an idea. Regarding @Coles claim in a tweet to @margo kingston1 that “Coles is a strong supporter of SPC Ardmona with more than 170 private label & branded products on our shelves” it is impossible to verify this from readily available figures. Whilst SPCA branded products are listed on the website, information about private label manufacturers is not.
@margokingston1 Coles is a strong supporter of SPC Ardmona with more than 170 private label & branded products on our shelves.
— Coles Supermarkets (@Coles) February 8, 2014
Figures were sourced from the Coles and Woolworths online. Coles includes where the product is from on their website but Woolworths does not. Unless Woolworths specifically identify a product origin on the label, as they do with tomatoes and some fruits, it is impossible to know where it comes from without a trip to the supermarket to read the fine print on the label. I went to two Woolworths supermarkets and found the origin of some of their own brand products. Price comparison figures are based on the 400g to 425g products as a standard size.
Figures marked with an* still need to be verified so are not to be taken as a given.
BAKED BEANS
Baked Beans |
Home Brands |
SPC |
Heinz |
Others |
Total |
||||
Aus |
Mixed |
O/S |
Aus |
NZ |
Aus |
Mixed |
O/S |
||
Coles |
– |
6 |
2 |
8 |
21 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
42 |
Woolworths |
– |
1 |
1 |
9 |
24 |
1 |
– |
2 |
38 |
Total |
– |
7 |
3 |
17 |
45 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
80 |
Coles: 0{17ac88c265afb328fa89088ab635a2a63864fdefdd7caa0964376053e8ea14b3} of own brands were Australian products. 21.4{17ac88c265afb328fa89088ab635a2a63864fdefdd7caa0964376053e8ea14b3} of total stocks were Australian products and 19{17ac88c265afb328fa89088ab635a2a63864fdefdd7caa0964376053e8ea14b3} of total stock had some Australian content.
Woolworths: 0{17ac88c265afb328fa89088ab635a2a63864fdefdd7caa0964376053e8ea14b3} of own brands were Australian products. 26.3{17ac88c265afb328fa89088ab635a2a63864fdefdd7caa0964376053e8ea14b3} of total stocks were Australian products and 2.6{17ac88c265afb328fa89088ab635a2a63864fdefdd7caa0964376053e8ea14b3} of total stock had some Australian content.
Combined: 0{17ac88c265afb328fa89088ab635a2a63864fdefdd7caa0964376053e8ea14b3} of home brands were Australian products. 23.8{17ac88c265afb328fa89088ab635a2a63864fdefdd7caa0964376053e8ea14b3} of total stocks were Australian products and 11.3{17ac88c265afb328fa89088ab635a2a63864fdefdd7caa0964376053e8ea14b3} of total stock had some Australian content.
BAKED BEANS PRICE COMPARISON
Italics indicates generic home brand
Outlet |
Brand |
Produced |
Price $ |
$/100g |
On Special |
W |
Homebrand |
O/S |
0.77/420g |
0.18 |
|
C |
Smart buy |
Italy |
0.91/420g |
0.22 |
|
C |
Coles |
Aus+O/S |
1.00/425g |
0.24 |
|
W |
Select |
Aus+O/S |
1.00/420g |
0.24 |
|
W |
SPC |
Aus |
1.40/425g |
0.33 |
$1.30 |
W |
Watties |
NZ |
1.45/420g |
0.35 |
|
C |
Watties |
NZ |
1.46/420g |
0.35 |
|
C |
Organic |
Italy |
1.63/400g |
0.41 |
|
C |
SPC |
Aus |
1.94/425g |
0.46 |
|
W |
Heinz |
NZ |
1.99/420g |
0.47 |
|
C |
Heinz |
NZ |
2.01/420g |
0.47 |
$0.92 |
CANNED SPAGHETTI
Canned Spaghetti |
Home Brands |
SPC |
Heinz |
Others |
Total |
||||
Aus |
Mixed |
O/S |
Aus |
NZ |
Aus |
Mixed |
O/S |
||
Coles |
3 |
1 |
2 |
9 |
16 |
– |
– |
2 |
33 |
Woolworths |
1 |
– |
1 |
8 |
17 |
– |
– |
3 |
30 |
Total |
4 |
1 |
3 |
17 |
33 |
– |
– |
5 |
63 |
Coles: 50{17ac88c265afb328fa89088ab635a2a63864fdefdd7caa0964376053e8ea14b3} of own brands were Australian products. 36.4{17ac88c265afb328fa89088ab635a2a63864fdefdd7caa0964376053e8ea14b3} of total stocks were Australian products and 3{17ac88c265afb328fa89088ab635a2a63864fdefdd7caa0964376053e8ea14b3} of total stock had some Australian content.
Woolworths: 50{17ac88c265afb328fa89088ab635a2a63864fdefdd7caa0964376053e8ea14b3} of own brands were Australian products. 30{17ac88c265afb328fa89088ab635a2a63864fdefdd7caa0964376053e8ea14b3} of total stocks were Australian products and 0{17ac88c265afb328fa89088ab635a2a63864fdefdd7caa0964376053e8ea14b3} of total stock had some Australian content.
Combined: 50{17ac88c265afb328fa89088ab635a2a63864fdefdd7caa0964376053e8ea14b3} of home brands were Australian products. 33.3{17ac88c265afb328fa89088ab635a2a63864fdefdd7caa0964376053e8ea14b3} of total stocks were Australian products and 1.6{17ac88c265afb328fa89088ab635a2a63864fdefdd7caa0964376053e8ea14b3} of total stock had some Australian content.
SPAGHETTI PRICE COMPARISON
Italics indicates generic home brand
Outlet |
Brand |
Produced |
Price $ |
$/100g |
On Special |
W |
Homebrand |
Italy |
0.77/420g |
0.18 |
|
C |
Smart buy |
Italy |
0.91/420g |
0.22 |
|
C |
Coles |
Aus |
1.00/425g |
0.24 |
|
W |
Select |
Aus |
1.00/420g |
0.24 |
|
W |
SPC |
Aus |
1.40/425g |
0.33 |
$1.30 |
C |
Watties |
NZ |
1.46/420g |
0.35 |
|
C |
Organic |
Italy |
1.63/400g |
0.41 |
|
C |
SPC |
Aus |
1.94/425g |
0.46 |
|
W |
Heinz |
NZ |
1.99/420g |
0.47 |
|
C |
Heinz |
NZ |
2.01/420g |
0.47 |
$0.92 |
CANNED TOMATOES
Canned Tomatoes |
Home Brands |
Ardmona |
Others |
Total |
||||
Aus |
Mixed |
Italy |
Aus |
Aus |
Mixed |
Italy |
||
Coles |
1 |
– |
10 |
10 |
– |
– |
4 |
25 |
Woolworths |
1 |
1 |
13 |
8 |
– |
1 |
9 |
33 |
Total |
2 |
1 |
23 |
18 |
1 |
1 |
13 |
58 |
Coles: 9.1{17ac88c265afb328fa89088ab635a2a63864fdefdd7caa0964376053e8ea14b3} of own brands were Australian products. 44{17ac88c265afb328fa89088ab635a2a63864fdefdd7caa0964376053e8ea14b3} of total stocks were Australian products and 0{17ac88c265afb328fa89088ab635a2a63864fdefdd7caa0964376053e8ea14b3} of total stock had some Australian content.
Woolworths: 6.7{17ac88c265afb328fa89088ab635a2a63864fdefdd7caa0964376053e8ea14b3} of own brands were Australian products. 26.7{17ac88c265afb328fa89088ab635a2a63864fdefdd7caa0964376053e8ea14b3} of total stocks were Australian products and 6.1{17ac88c265afb328fa89088ab635a2a63864fdefdd7caa0964376053e8ea14b3} of total stock had some Australian content.
Combined: 7.7{17ac88c265afb328fa89088ab635a2a63864fdefdd7caa0964376053e8ea14b3} of home brands were Australian products. 36.2{17ac88c265afb328fa89088ab635a2a63864fdefdd7caa0964376053e8ea14b3} of total stocks were Australian products and 3.4{17ac88c265afb328fa89088ab635a2a63864fdefdd7caa0964376053e8ea14b3} of total stock had some Australian content.
CANNED TOMATOES PRICE COMPARISON
Italics indicates generic home brand
Outlet |
Brand |
Produced |
Price $ |
$/Kg |
On Special |
W |
Homebrand |
Italy |
0.65/400g |
1.61 |
|
C |
Smart buy |
Italy |
0.71/400g |
1.78 |
|
C |
Coles |
Italy |
0.80/400g |
2.00 |
|
W |
Val Verde |
Italy |
1.00/400g |
2.50 |
|
C |
Coles |
Aus |
1.07/400g |
2.68 |
|
C |
Organic |
Italy |
1.19/400g |
2.98 |
|
W |
Macro |
Italy |
1.25/400g |
3.13 |
|
W |
Ardmona |
Aus |
1.40/400g |
3.50 |
|
C |
Ardmona |
Aus |
1.40/400g |
3.50 |
|
W |
Select |
Italy |
1.49/400g |
3.71 |
|
C |
Capriccio |
Italy |
1.51/400g |
3.78 |
$1.00 |
W |
Annalise |
Italy |
1.71/400g |
4.28 |
|
C |
Mutti |
Italy |
2.01/400g |
5.03 |
PROCESSED FRUIT PRODUCTS
It is very hard to make comparisons across such a vast array of products especially as SPCA does not produce all fruits and combination of fruit products available. Given that Woolworths does not include country of source on their website it would be an onerous and time consuming task to inventory products by hand. Canned peaches seem to be the iconic SPCA product so I have surveyed peach products stocked by Coles and Woolworths and I have included a very general comparison of all home brand fruit products and SPCA fruit products excluding fruit juices.
Processed Fruits |
Home Brands |
Total |
SPCA |
Total |
||||
Aus |
Mixed |
O/S |
SPC |
Goulburn |
Ardmona |
|||
Coles |
17 |
2 |
22 |
41 |
24 |
28 |
2 |
54 |
Woolworths |
11 |
– |
17* |
28 |
18 |
25 |
2 |
45 |
Total |
28 |
2 |
39* |
69 |
42 |
53 |
4 |
99 |
For every home brand product Coles stocks 1.32 SPCA products.
For every home brand product Woolworths stocks 1.61 products.
PROCESSED PEACHES
Processed Peaches |
Home Brands |
GV/SPC |
Others |
Total |
||||
Aus |
Mixed |
O/S |
Aus |
Aus |
Mixed |
O/S |
||
Coles |
2 |
– |
3 |
13 |
3 |
– |
1 |
22 |
Woolworths |
3 |
– |
8* |
9 |
3 |
– |
– |
23 |
Total |
5 |
– |
11* |
22 |
6 |
– |
1 |
45 |
Coles: 40{17ac88c265afb328fa89088ab635a2a63864fdefdd7caa0964376053e8ea14b3} of own brands were Australian products. 68.1{17ac88c265afb328fa89088ab635a2a63864fdefdd7caa0964376053e8ea14b3} of total stocks were Australian products and 0{17ac88c265afb328fa89088ab635a2a63864fdefdd7caa0964376053e8ea14b3} of total stock had some Australian content.
Woolworths: 27.2{17ac88c265afb328fa89088ab635a2a63864fdefdd7caa0964376053e8ea14b3}* of own brands were Australian products. 26.1{17ac88c265afb328fa89088ab635a2a63864fdefdd7caa0964376053e8ea14b3}*of total stocks were Australian products and 0{17ac88c265afb328fa89088ab635a2a63864fdefdd7caa0964376053e8ea14b3} of total stock had some Australian content.
Combined: 45.5{17ac88c265afb328fa89088ab635a2a63864fdefdd7caa0964376053e8ea14b3}* of home brands were Australian products. 60{17ac88c265afb328fa89088ab635a2a63864fdefdd7caa0964376053e8ea14b3}* of total stocks were Australian products and 0{17ac88c265afb328fa89088ab635a2a63864fdefdd7caa0964376053e8ea14b3}* of total stock had some Australian content.
*I was unable to confirm Woolworths figures as the two supermarkets I went to were out of home brand peaches. Generally their “Select” brands of canned fruit are Australian but their “Homebrand” is sourced from overseas. If this holds true for peaches then the above figures would be indicative.
CANNED PEACHS PRICE COMPARISON
Italics indicates generic home brand
Outlet |
Brand |
Produced |
Price $ |
$/Kg |
On Special |
W |
Select |
Aus |
2.03/410g |
4.95 |
|
C |
Coles |
|
2.05/410g |
5.00 |
|
C |
Goulburn V. |
Aus |
3.24/400g |
8.10 |
|
W |
Goulburn V. |
Aus |
3.28/400g |
8.20 |
The 400g to 425g container is a standard size and I have used it as a comparison size across brands and outlets. I chose this as the comparison size to ensure niche markets for snack products etc do not influence a basic comparison.
Coles does not list any SPC products in the core 400g to 425g range unless they are bulk packed in multiples of three. In a tweet today @Coles said that “100{17ac88c265afb328fa89088ab635a2a63864fdefdd7caa0964376053e8ea14b3} of Coles brand tinned peaches, pears and apricots are sourced from SPC”. This is confusing given that they list Coles Smart Buy brand of canned peaches as South African sourced.
Whilst I have not had any direct contact with Woolworths it is interesting to note the similarity and limitations of the products they offer in this category. It would also be interesting to know if they too sourced the same products from SPC.