Grocery price agreement

Press, 15 August 1984, Page 38

Grocery price agreement

Wellington reporter The advertising and specialling programmes run by J. Rattray and Son, Ltd, for the A-l Banner Group members have been approved by the Commerce Commission. In July, 1981, R. A. Wilkie, Ltd, applied to the commission for approval on an individual resale price maintenance agreement or arrangement. Wilkie’s are now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rattray’s. Rattray’s applied in 1981 to the commission for approval on agreements with its subsidiary, Good Housekeeping Bureau (SI) and with the U-Save Banner Group. In 1983, the G.H.B. and U-

Save groups were disbanded and the members of both joined the A-l Banner Group — a collection of independent retail grocers who, through a group membership agreement, are affiliated to a wholesaler largely to gain buying privileges, pricing information, and access to “specialling” programmes. Rattray’s has been the sponsor of the A-l Banner Group which operates in Canterbury, Otago and Southland. There are about 221 A-l stores in the regions compared with about 640 other stores. The A-l group’s sales account for less than 30 per cent of total grocery sales in the three regions.