The Australian Motor Industry Federation (AMIF), and the Australian Service Station and Convenience Store Association (ASSCSA) representing the interests of Australia’s remaining independent fuel retailers, today cautiously welcomed the Undertakings made by Coles and Woolworths regarding fuel discounting.
AMIF CEO, Richard Dudley said that capping fuel discounts at 4 cents per litre, along with the terms agreed within the Undertakings of Coles and Woolworths, is step in the right direction to levelling the playing field for fuel retailing.
“AMIF and ASSCSA will remain vigilant to the activities of predatory pricing and abuse of market power and will closely monitor adherence to these undertakings and will not hesitate to raise such matters in the future to protect the interests of independent fuel retailers,” Mr Dudley said.
“Unfortunately today’s developments in this long running battle is too little too late for many of those retailers who have already exited the business under the burden of at-times ludicrous levels of discounting that has occurred over recent years.
“It provides some relief for those remaining to provide consumer choice and competition to the largest players in fuel retailing,” he added.
Mr Dudley said AMIF and ASSCSA and their State and Territory Motor Trades Association and Automobile Chambers of commerce and fuel retail members were instrumental in convincing the ACCC to further investigate fuel discounting and the behaviours of market players.“
AMIF congratulates Commissioner Sims and the ACCC for their diligence and thanked them for the opportunity to work closely with its investigations into the market behaviour of the major grocery chains”, he said.
Further Information:Richard Dudley CEO AMIF 0412 146 82.