Ozzie hostages to fortune
Reports that the Foster’s Group in Australia are withholding beer from two of that country’s largest retailers - Woolworth’s and Coles - over the threat of below-cost selling by the retail groups, is, well..... refreshing.
While the two retailers have both reportedly denied that they plan to sell below-cost, the contrast to the selling situation here at home could not be more stark.
Question: What’s against suppliers here trying the same withholding of supplies stunt with the below-cost selling multiples here in the Emerald Isle?
Answer: John Bull and the rest of Europe in such close proximity, that’s what!!
Under such convenient geographic conditions, parallel importing has become a huge problem for Irish-based suppliers.
The only answer is to reduce domestic input costs and thus market prices here — and that’s something that only a super-strong Government could undertake. Any takers?
