Five days before launching the new improved GroceryChoice site the Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs, Craig Emerson, has met with the big three supermarkets and decided that price transparency doesn’t work for them. CHOICE was not informed about the decision until after the industry and the media were fully briefed.

This is the first significant decision by the consumer minister since taking office and overturns a Government promise to support greater transparency in consumer pricing through GroceryChoice. Within days consumers would have had access to timely and accurate information across the leading supermarket chains on which to base their purchasing decisions. This has been a remarkable achievement given that of the big supermarkets, only Aldi and FoodWorks were brave enough to support the project.

CHOICE chief executive Nick Stace said “I am shocked and disappointed at the decision by the consumer minister to side with supermarkets rather than consumers. Supermarket prices are higher in Australia than many other developed countries and CHOICE agreed to deliver GroceryChoice because we believed we could make a difference for consumers.”

CHOICE is encouraging people to post their thoughts on the decision. Consumers can post comments about their own experiences and have their say about this issue on the CHOICE website. You can also vote on whether you think the government is doing enough to drive competition in the grocery sector.

For more information and to have your say on this issue visit the CHOICE website www.choice.com.au