meat rip off

[The Monty]

I think this has been blown out of proportinon. Live cattle at $1.00 a kilo, 43 % of that is useable for meat. Chuck in transport to the abbatoirs, the hourly rate for someone to kill it, to process it, to box it and to label it. Then more transport to the processing plants, time for the butchers to cut it up, packers to pack it, labeling, plus all the consumables that go with it, then transport to the supermarket, and I think we are getting quite a good price.

[The Monty]

Oh, and dont forget the cleaners, the guys who come and pick up the fat bins, maintenance on the places, the electricity bills (they are huge), the managers, the storeman, you could go on all day.

[The Monty]

Originally Posted by AUII_SE_Ute

The guy I live with is a butcher at Coles and he's told me the same thing repeatedly.

It's only a matter of when now...

Im a butcher for Woolies, we do the meat for the ones who dont have butchers, and they are pretty much trying to get rid of all store butchers, and it will just all be done at places like the one I work at where we cut for about 10 woolies stores.

[bob 351]

Originally Posted by The Monty

I think this has been blown out of proportinon. Live cattle at $1.00 a kilo, 43 % of that is useable for meat. Chuck in transport to the abbatoirs, the hourly rate for someone to kill it, to process it, to box it and to label it. Then more transport to the processing plants, time for the butchers to cut it up, packers to pack it, labeling, plus all the consumables that go with it, then transport to the supermarket, and I think we are getting quite a good price.

so butcher buys carcass cuts it up sell it in shop how much the profit margin surely not 1200to1800%

[StookEB]

The price of meat at the butchers should go down if farmers get paid less.
If farmers get $1p/kg, at butchers it's $10p/kg.
If farmers price rose to $2p/kg, then i'd expect meat prices to rise, not the other way around

[The Monty]

Originally Posted by bob 351

so butcher buys carcass cuts it up sell it in shop how much the profit margin surely not 1200to1800%

Im not exactly sure how actual "butcher" shops work exactly. They obviously would be paying more from the abbatoir, Id expect, as they dont buy in bulk, like the processing places do. So Id expect their price to be high still, although not as high as some I have seen. Im only staing what I know happens at the bigger places, like the ones that do meat for Action, ALDI, woolies, coles, etc.

[atec77]

Originally Posted by Longreach

The price of beef isn't $1/kg.
Abattoir staff must be paid
Transport costs
The fact that not every kilo of the animal is used able meat, the stomache contents plus bone make up a huge amount of an animals weight..
Plus other factors i'm sure i've missed

everything in the animal gets used and makes money
everything , the farmers should be seeing about double the current at todays prices , so obviously someone is being very greedy .

[PHATXR8]

If anyone out there thinks that Coles & Wooworths are not ripping everyone off, then you are a f&%king idiot.

Next time you go shopping at Woolies or Coles, go and have a good look at their everyday meat, fruit & vegie prices (not the items on special). Then wander down to your local butcher and fruit & veg grocer and compare not only the prices, but also the quality of the goods. In my part of the world, Wagga, we can buy meat, fruit & veg for about half the price than we can at the local Woolies & Coles supermarkets.

My family grows beef & sheep an dwe know how much Coles pays for the meat and how much they sell it for....we have refused to supply to Coles or Woolies for the past 6 years as we are sick and tired of getting screwed by them. They would ruotinely agree on a price per kg for livestock and then tell us that they would have to dock us (up to) 35% because there was something wrong with the meat after it had been killed. Funnily enough we have never had a single coomplaint from any of our customers since we told Coles to get nicked!! I also had a mate that worked as a meat buyer for Coles for 3 years and their (Coles) primary goal was to rob farmers for every cent whenever possible. He no longer works for Coles as he couldn't sleep at night knowing that it was his "job" to screw farming families out of every cent if possible!!

I also have a mate who owns a hydroponic tomato farm in QLD. The sell produce to Coles and Woolworths and it ends up on the supermarket shelf the next day, still packed in the same boxes, for at least triple the price!! Freight and packing doesn't cost that much!!!

Not only do these companies screw the producers, they also routinely screw the other shopkeepers in the Coles/Woolies shopping centres. The rents are jacked up so high so that the independent shopkeeepers and franchisees barely cover costs, thereby subsidising the supermarket's tenancy costs.

The ACCC is a toothless tiger that talks touh but never does a thing to either of them. Now just look at the fuel prices in Australia. Coles and Woolies now own the vast majority of fuel outlets, world oil prices have decreased by 25%, but fuel prices have only reduced by 15%......similar story to the meat prices, isn't it????

[OLDFORDNUT]

Originally Posted by PHATXR8

If anyone out there thinks that Coles & Wooworths are not ripping everyone off, then you are a f&%king idiot.

Next time you go shopping at Woolies or Coles, go and have a good look at their everyday meat, fruit & vegie prices (not the items on special). Then wander down to your local butcher and fruit & veg grocer and compare not only the prices, but also the quality of the goods. In my part of the world, Wagga, we can buy meat, fruit & veg for about half the price than we can at the local Woolies & Coles supermarkets.

My family grows beef & sheep an dwe know how much Coles pays for the meat and how much they sell it for....we have refused to supply to Coles or Woolies for the past 6 years as we are sick and tired of getting screwed by them. They would ruotinely agree on a price per kg for livestock and then tell us that they would have to dock us (up to) 35% because there was something wrong with the meat after it had been killed. Funnily enough we have never had a single coomplaint from any of our customers since we told Coles to get nicked!! I also had a mate that worked as a meat buyer for Coles for 3 years and their (Coles) primary goal was to rob farmers for every cent whenever possible. He no longer works for Coles as he couldn't sleep at night knowing that it was his "job" to screw farming families out of every cent if possible!!

I also have a mate who owns a hydroponic tomato farm in QLD. The sell produce to Coles and Woolworths and it ends up on the supermarket shelf the next day, still packed in the same boxes, for at least triple the price!! Freight and packing doesn't cost that much!!!

Not only do these companies screw the producers, they also routinely screw the other shopkeepers in the Coles/Woolies shopping centres. The rents are jacked up so high so that the independent shopkeeepers and franchisees barely cover costs, thereby subsidising the supermarket's tenancy costs.

The ACCC is a toothless tiger that talks touh but never does a thing to either of them. Now just look at the fuel prices in Australia. Coles and Woolies now own the vast majority of fuel outlets, world oil prices have decreased by 25%, but fuel prices have only reduced by 15%......similar story to the meat prices, isn't it????

exactly they run roughshod over anyone smaller in their way, and as stated the toothless tiger can never prove collusion or priceing out opposition .
with underhand tactics

[new2ford]

PHATXR8 and nicholas we've discussed this sort of thing in several threads on this forum but the fact is people keep on shopping there in droves. They pay more for all goods (not just meat and veg), fall for the petrol "discount" (ha ha) coupons, put up with lousy produce, stand in mind-numbing queues and keep coming back for more. Why? Probably not filthy rich (more likely part of the nation's huge credit debt). Probably a mixture of uncritical consumers, too lazy or time-pressed to try anything else, no competition in certain areas (as Coles and Woolworths bulldoze the opposition out). So if they won't take their business elsewhere as consumers they can hardly complain about being ripped off. Capitalism works fine with sensible critical consumers - otherwise it just becomes abusive and one-sided.

ACCC is as useless as a parachute in a submarine but even if it was a finely-honed killing machine nothing will change while consumers are so uncritical. Look at the cars most of them buy!

[mickyj]

Originally Posted by PHATXR8

If anyone out there thinks that Coles & Wooworths are not ripping everyone off, then you are a f&%king idiot.

Next time you go shopping at Woolies or Coles, go and have a good look at their everyday meat, fruit & vegie prices (not the items on special). Then wander down to your local butcher and fruit & veg grocer and compare not only the prices, but also the quality of the goods. In my part of the world, Wagga, we can buy meat, fruit & veg for about half the price than we can at the local Woolies & Coles supermarkets.

My family grows beef & sheep an dwe know how much Coles pays for the meat and how much they sell it for....we have refused to supply to Coles or Woolies for the past 6 years as we are sick and tired of getting screwed by them. They would ruotinely agree on a price per kg for livestock and then tell us that they would have to dock us (up to) 35% because there was something wrong with the meat after it had been killed. Funnily enough we have never had a single coomplaint from any of our customers since we told Coles to get nicked!! I also had a mate that worked as a meat buyer for Coles for 3 years and their (Coles) primary goal was to rob farmers for every cent whenever possible. He no longer works for Coles as he couldn't sleep at night knowing that it was his "job" to screw farming families out of every cent if possible!!

I also have a mate who owns a hydroponic tomato farm in QLD. The sell produce to Coles and Woolworths and it ends up on the supermarket shelf the next day, still packed in the same boxes, for at least triple the price!! Freight and packing doesn't cost that much!!!

Not only do these companies screw the producers, they also routinely screw the other shopkeepers in the Coles/Woolies shopping centres. The rents are jacked up so high so that the independent shopkeeepers and franchisees barely cover costs, thereby subsidising the supermarket's tenancy costs.

The ACCC is a toothless tiger that talks touh but never does a thing to either of them. Now just look at the fuel prices in Australia. Coles and Woolies now own the vast majority of fuel outlets, world oil prices have decreased by 25%, but fuel prices have only reduced by 15%......similar story to the meat prices, isn't it????

I have to agree with you mate can not back it with any facts .

Just to add this to the arguement i work for a Pharmacy Chain and the big 2 supermarkets are trying to get Pharmacies into their stores .The federal Govt has been considering it for awhile BUT have changed a few of the rules ,so the idea maybe shelved for awhile longer yet.

[fmc351]

Originally Posted by nicholas

the real supermarket rip off is fruit and vegies.
potatoes have been between $2.20 and $3.00 for over 7 years here in Hervey bay, each time i ask why prices are so hi its either the drougt or the floods, i watched an SBS show about 6 years ago when potatoes were over $2.50 a kilo here that siad the farmers were near the end of there woolworths contracts. that were $.17 (yes 17 cents a kilo)for all there crop that year,i never brought another vegie from woolies unless we really needed them for tea that night after that.
is there any farmers on here who can confirm the price's the big supermarkets actually pay now for vegies?

The wholesale markets make a killing. Every state has at least one wholesale market. Middle man makes a killing, Woolies do use them, but mostly bypass the middle man. The wholesalers are simply handlers.

[Bill_R]

there are a number of "budget" butchers around here that are really taking off. I've found one that is excellent. The prices are much cheaper, it's good quality and always packed (you get in early for the best deals).
Object with your feet.

[Outbackjack]

We buy all our meat from the local butcher. We go halves with some friends and buy a whole cow and get the butcher to halve it for us. All goes in the freezer and lasts about 12 months or so. We also get a 20% DEFCON discount. And all you guys are rite. The meat from butchers is heaps better than the junk that coles/woolies sell.

And it seems that there is little doubt that someone in the middle of the chain that goes from grower to retailer, is getting way too much for doing very little.

[Dazza XLT]

Most agents charge 5% commission for sales. Transport costs can be huge.
Feedlot prices are only getting higher, as their feed costs have gone right up. It's not just feed either. Worming, Vaccination, HGP (Hormonal Growth Promotants) and ear tagging just to name a few. A fair amount of labor involved in this process too.
The supermarkets get a good percentage of their beef from Feedlots, so that might be the cause.
Sale yard dues are only getting dearer too.

Cheers