The throttlehold that our two supermarket chains have around each of our necks is quite frightening. These are businesses that strangle their suppliers as well as their customers. In the UK there is an independant website that publishes the prices of every item stocked by the four (largest ?) supermarkets in the UK. You can check it here: www.mysupermarket.co.uk
This non-government site has been set up by a private company so shoppers can compare prices between supermarkets, before shopping online, and arranging home delivery. However it can also be used by the walk-in shopper to compare prices. I assume that this site works in the UK because there is real competition between supermarkets. As there is no competition in Australia I presume that the "price-checkers", who sometimes can be seen haunting the aisles of the so-called "competition", are really there to check how "high" a price can be set, rather than how low.
I sent a couple of emails to the Administrators of the Government site that was attempting to compare the price of a "basket of groceries", suggesting that the establishment of a site, similar to the UK site, would save the Aussie taxpayer money, because it would be operated by a private company who would, (I assume), receive a tiny commission from each online order. I received no reply.
There are lots of "thinkers" on this site and I'd like us to get our heads together to work out how we can achieve real competition between the supermarkets. A third supermarket chain, like Aldi, is really needed but they don't have any supermarkets in the NT. In fact I don't know what their demographic is. We all know what the problems are. e.g. shopping centre "lease-lockouts" to competitive butchers/greengrocers etc. But what is the answer?
Public servants (including politicians) are just that .... servants of the public, carrying out the wishes of us, the taxpaying populous, who are too busy enjoying our retierment to do the work ourselves. But we have the right to tell them what to do, and to make sure they carry out our wishes. So, let's start making a llist, and adding to it as the thoughts come to mind. Thinking caps on?