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When Woolworths chief executive Brad Banducci walked out on reporter Angus Grigg mid-interview, it was a key moment in a Four Corners program investigating the conduct of the big two supermarket chains and became a viral sensation on social media.
In the reporting, the Four Corners team revealed tactics used by Coles with a supplier seeking a price increase and how the company had taken advantage of inflation, as well as similar tactics by Woolworths. They also demonstrated how they lured shoppers, and how workers and farmers were being squeezed by the powerful duopoly.
With the cost of groceries rising, it’s no surprise that the story would resonate with Australians, and after the show aired, hundreds of reactions poured into Four Corners’ contact form.
Tactics used on both customers and suppliers were revealed by Four Corners. (Four Corners: Nick Wiggins)
Days later, Mr Banducci announced he’d be stepping down from his $8.5 million-a-year role, a departure the company said was long-planned.
In April, the ABC live-blogged the often fiery senate inquiry into supermarket prices and profits, where Mr Banducci was threatened with contempt and prison time for refusing to answer questions about the profitability of Woolworths.
After a review of the sector, the federal government imposed new mandatory obligations on large supermarket chains to treat suppliers fairly, enforced by fines of up to $10 million.
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ABC NEWS teams are watching closely to see if the supermarket giants meet those obligations — and in the meantime have kept up the pressure, reporting widely on issues from the perspectives of producers and consumers.