Australian Politics Forum - Fruit And Vegies

Ajax

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Re: Fruit And Vegies - Why Do They Cost So Much?
Reply #75 - Jan 24^th, 2016 at 5:52pm

miketrees wrote on Jan 24^th, 2016 at 5:34pm:

I know in the Perth markets at Canning Vale some time ago now,,, but if the supermarkets did not buy at one market they knew they would get stuff cheap at the next market.

That's what happens when governments allow monopolies.

How's that crook of a premier Colin Barnett going over there, still calling for a rise in the GST to help pay off WA's $30+ billion dollar debt....?

It amazes me that WA has had boom times for the last 15 years or so and its finds itself in $30+ BILLION dollar debt.

Just shows this form of capitalism lets the few hoard the wealth at the expense of the many.

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1. There has never been a more serious assault on our standard of living than Anthropogenic Global Warming..Ajax
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Black Orchid

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Re: Fruit And Vegies - Why Do They Cost So Much?
Reply #76 - Jan 24^th, 2016 at 5:58pm

Fruit And Vegies - Why Do They Cost So Much?

I don't think fruit and vegies are expensive at all. If they were any cheaper the remaining farmers in Australia would starve.

Look at what you buy and buy Australian.

If you are worried about cost, plant some vegies. Fruit not so much but anyone can plant vegie staples, even in a small yard.

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freediver

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Re: Fruit And Vegies - Why Do They Cost So Much?
Reply #77 - Jan 24^th, 2016 at 7:24pm

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yes ... and YOU said that Aldi and Metcash were ... I merely asked you if they really were? Is your comment true or did you make it up?

You made it up. It is your fantasy. Whatever it is, their competitors would stock it. Let you imagination run wild. It can be anything you want it to be.

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I said it was a virtual duopoly.

With 4 big players and many smaller ones?

Quote:

Are you suggesting that Aldi and IGA aren't benefiting from the big twos push to ease import restrictions?

I am saying they would take advantage of any of the self destructive tactics you attribute to coles and woolies in your little fantasy.

Quote:

By the way, I didn't mention market share, you did. I said profits.

And how do you think IGA and ALDI and the smaller players expect to increase profits?

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Wolseley

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Re: Fruit And Vegies - Why Do They Cost So Much?
Reply #78 - Jan 24^th, 2016 at 8:26pm

Nobody seems to have explained so far how come fruit and vegetables are roughly about the same price in Coles, Woolworths, IGA, Aldi, fruit and vegetable chains (such as Trims) and small family run businesses. If charging excessive markups is the cause, as has been suggested, how come Coles and Woolworths aren't charging the consumer two or three times as much as anyone else?

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Aussie

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Re: Fruit And Vegies - Why Do They Cost So Much?
Reply #79 - Jan 24^th, 2016 at 8:34pm

Wolseley wrote on Jan 24^th, 2016 at 8:26pm:

Nobody seems to have explained so far how come fruit and vegetables are roughly about the same price in Coles, Woolworths, IGA, Aldi, fruit and vegetable chains (such as Trims) and small family run businesses. If charging excessive markups is the cause, as has been suggested, how come Coles and Woolworths aren't charging the consumer two or three times as much as anyone else?

Because (a) they want to screw their competition and (b) pay (screw) the farmer SFA in the process.

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freediver

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Re: Fruit And Vegies - Why Do They Cost So Much?
Reply #80 - Jan 24^th, 2016 at 8:40pm

I do often buy fruit and veges at much lower prices at alternative shops, when it is available. The reason coles and woolies charge more is because they are not selling fruit and veges. They are selling a service. You can walk in there and find the same fruit and veg all year round, all ready to eat, or close enough. That sort of thing takes a lot of effort. People bitch about the price. The farmers bitch about only getting a fraction of it. But at the end of the day people want that convenience, and are willing to pay for it.

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Aussie

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Re: Fruit And Vegies - Why Do They Cost So Much?
Reply #81 - Jan 24^th, 2016 at 8:47pm

freediver wrote on Jan 24^th, 2016 at 8:40pm:

I do often buy fruit and veges at much lower prices at alternative shops, when it is available. The reason coles and woolies charge more is because they are not selling fruit and veges. They are selling a service. You can walk in there and find the same fruit and veg all year round, all ready to eat, or close enough. That sort of thing takes a lot of effort. People bitch about the price. The farmers bitch about only getting a fraction of it. But at the end of the day people want that convenience, and are willing to pay for it.

Yadda yadda. But, how can the poor bastard who works 12 hours a day producing the stuff get ahead while Coles/Woolworths are controlling the price structure. What should they do. Perhaps not grow anything. Starve the Nation and go personally broke in the process.

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Wolseley

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Re: Fruit And Vegies - Why Do They Cost So Much?
Reply #82 - Jan 24^th, 2016 at 8:53pm

Aussie wrote on Jan 24^th, 2016 at 8:34pm:

Wolseley wrote on Jan 24^th, 2016 at 8:26pm:

Nobody seems to have explained so far how come fruit and vegetables are roughly about the same price in Coles, Woolworths, IGA, Aldi, fruit and vegetable chains (such as Trims) and small family run businesses. If charging excessive markups is the cause, as has been suggested, how come Coles and Woolworths aren't charging the consumer two or three times as much as anyone else?

Because (a) they want to screw their competition and (b) pay (screw) the farmer SFA in the process.

I don't doubt that Coles and Woolworths are able to exercise undue influence in the fruit and vegetable retail sector, and we all know they beat down the wholesale price to an unrealistically low level. But, given that between them, they have captured 54% of retail fruit and vegetable market, or just slightly over half, why are the retail operations of the other 46% having no noticeable effect?

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Wolseley Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 1453 Sydney Gender:	Re: Fruit And Vegies - Why Do They Cost So Much? Reply #83 - Jan 24^th, 2016 at 8:54pm (double post)
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Aussie

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Re: Fruit And Vegies - Why Do They Cost So Much?
Reply #84 - Jan 24^th, 2016 at 8:57pm

Wolseley wrote on Jan 24^th, 2016 at 8:53pm:

Aussie wrote on Jan 24^th, 2016 at 8:34pm:

Wolseley wrote on Jan 24^th, 2016 at 8:26pm:

Nobody seems to have explained so far how come fruit and vegetables are roughly about the same price in Coles, Woolworths, IGA, Aldi, fruit and vegetable chains (such as Trims) and small family run businesses. If charging excessive markups is the cause, as has been suggested, how come Coles and Woolworths aren't charging the consumer two or three times as much as anyone else?

Because (a) they want to screw their competition and (b) pay (screw) the farmer SFA in the process.

I don't doubt that Coles and Woolworths are able to exercise undue influence in the fruit and vegetable retail sector, and we all know they beat down the wholesale price to an unrealistically low level. But, given that between them, they have captured 54% of retail fruit and vegetable market, or just slightly over half, why are the retail operations of the other 46% having no noticeable effect?

Because, as FD points out, people go to Coles/Woolworths....and as a result, they tell the producer what he will get for his product. There is only one way to break the cycle. Farmers go on strike, screw themselves financially...and starve the population.

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Re: Fruit And Vegies - Why Do They Cost So Much?
Reply #85 - Jan 24^th, 2016 at 8:58pm

Coles and woolies are not controlling the price structure. If he doesn't like what coles and woolies are offering, he can go to ALDI, IGA, one of the smaller operators, or sell it himself on the side of the road.

At the end of the day, the price is going to drop until there are only just enough farmers to supply what is needed, at a price for which it is only marginally worth it for some of the farmers. This is true of all commodity business, and close enough to true for the rest of them. If the farmers don't like it, they should leave the industry, and then the price will go up for the rest of the farmers.

The people who are really screwing our farmers are all the other farmers who stay in the game because to them it is more than a business, it is a lifestyle. When you say that they cannot compete with foreign farmers working for 50c a day, the corollary of this is that there are other industries in Australia who would be willing to pay them more for their efforts. That is what it really means to be unable to compete - they cannot live a typical lavish Australian lifestyle while doing the same thing for a living that people in the third world can do for next to nothing. They should not expect to. We did not get where we are today by being afraid of change.

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Aussie

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Re: Fruit And Vegies - Why Do They Cost So Much?
Reply #86 - Jan 24^th, 2016 at 9:05pm

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We did not get where we are today by being afraid of change.

I suppose one day when I am long gone, the citizens of the World will be hard wired to drips, not even moving out of bed for either food or a crap.....zombie like...watching whatever is coming to replace TV/www/computers........perhaps even buying babies generated from our DNA by some weird yet to be invented process.

Jolly, isn't it.

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ian

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Re: Fruit And Vegies - Why Do They Cost So Much?
Reply #87 - Jan 24^th, 2016 at 9:34pm

Strange isnt it. In Jakarta you cannot buy a local banana in the supermarkets. They are all imported from Australia and expensive to boot. regardless, when in Australia i make sure to buy whatever fruit and vegetables from local small sellers. Asian food suppliers mainly, they source locally so you know you are supporting the small business owner. These places seem to be thriving.

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freediver

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Re: Fruit And Vegies - Why Do They Cost So Much?
Reply #88 - Jan 24^th, 2016 at 10:15pm

Aussie wrote on Jan 24^th, 2016 at 9:05pm:

Quote:

We did not get where we are today by being afraid of change.

I suppose one day when I am long gone, the citizens of the World will be hard wired to drips, not even moving out of bed for either food or a crap.....zombie like...watching whatever is coming to replace TV/www/computers........perhaps even buying babies generated from our DNA by some weird yet to be invented process.

Jolly, isn't it.

You just like this version because Uber will be broke.

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People who can't distinguish between etymology and entomology bug me in ways I cannot put into words.

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Aussie

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Re: Fruit And Vegies - Why Do They Cost So Much?
Reply #89 - Jan 24^th, 2016 at 10:24pm

freediver wrote on Jan 24^th, 2016 at 10:15pm:

Aussie wrote on Jan 24^th, 2016 at 9:05pm:

Quote:

We did not get where we are today by being afraid of change.

I suppose one day when I am long gone, the citizens of the World will be hard wired to drips, not even moving out of bed for either food or a crap.....zombie like...watching whatever is coming to replace TV/www/computers........perhaps even buying babies generated from our DNA by some weird yet to be invented process.

Jolly, isn't it.

You just like this version because Uber will be broke.

No. I was projecting your dumb arse "We did not get where we are today by being afraid of change," and you don't like the image.

Change/growth as Dick Smith says....is not per se a good thing. I think I'll become a Marxist like Marla.

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