Key Points:
Toughening retail conditions is not going to cause a
change in the strict application of competition
principles.
Retail conditions in the current Australian economic climate are
weak. Consumers are taking a more measured approach to borrowing
and spending than they have in the past. Bricks and mortar stores
are being challenged by retailers with online strategies, and
consumers are purchasing more goods over the internet than ever
before. The average Australian consumer's purchasing behaviour
is fundamentally changing.
In that context, the Australian Competition and Consumer
Commission (ACCC) has been considering retail issues carefully, and
in particular has been opposed at a policy level to any conduct
which has the potential to impede the emerging competition offered
through online retail.
