Two Perth independent supermarket operators have raised concerns after groups of uniformed Woolworths employees visited their stores, with CCTV showing staff examining displays, checking prices and taking photographs.
Master Grocers Australia, the national peak body representing independent supermarkets and liquor stores, has called on Woolworths to explain what its employees were trying to achieve.
“We’re concerned that the footage we’ve seen seems to suggest that these (Woolworths) employees are behaving in an unprofessional and potentially intimidating manner,” MGA chief executive Martin Stirling said.
The article also highlighted broader concerns among independent retailers about increasing acquisitions by the major supermarket chains and the impact on competition in the sector.
The story was also syndicated on The Nightly under the headline “WATCH: Woolies staff storm IGA in bizarre act caught on CCTV,” describing Woolworths as having been accused of bullying and intimidating its smaller rivals after uniformed staff swarmed two IGA stores in one day.
