Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Boycott Woollies (and Safeway in Victoria)

AROUND 90 cents buys a delightfully refreshing soft drink made with apple and blackcurrant, a particular favourite at the Billabong, where an inch or so is often drained before the bottle is frozen overnight. Stowed next morning in the golf bag to melt as the round progresses, it makes a cold, tongue-tingling zinger all the way through the back nine. 



Trouble is, you can only get this beverage at Woolworth supermarkets, where the Professor will no longer be spending what has been $150-or-so every week, not even if lamb cutlets (another favourite) are marked down to one dollar for trays of 30.

There are quite a few things to dislike about Alan Jones, from the Hansonesque advocacy of tariffs to the emotive irrationality he brings to the topic of coal-seam gas exploration, but from now on it will be Coles all the way.


All who believe that even protectionist nitwits deserve the right to speak freely and that the radio host's apology should have been enough might also want to consider giving Woollies a miss from now on.

And here are some other companies worth spurning.

NOTE WELL: In Victoria all Woollies stores operate under the Safeway banner

AND ALSO WORTH NOTING: Current Fairfax chairman Roger Corbett is a former Woollies chieftain. Evidently he left his spoor behind.

43 comments:

  1. Lamb cutlets are full of fat. That's what the crumbs are designed to hide so they can sell them to you for $30-$40 a kilo, after buying them for $4. (Farmers Direct is even greedier than tweedle-Dum and tweedle-dee.) In the southern socialist republic, Vic, South Melbourne, Prahran and Preston markets are the only way to rediscover quality and disconnect yourself from Big Gouge. Alas, from my bush bolthole, the round trip fuel is around $60 because that, too, is now controlled by Big Gouge.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'll go you one better Bunyip. I'm going to load up Woolworths trolleys with a load of stuff then abandon it with a note saying why they will have to put everything back in the freezer cabinet again because I am not giving to give them one more dollar.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Don't do that, Anonymous. Some poor bugger working for peanuts will have to put everything back, and if it is stuff from the freezer there could be health issues for anyone who later buys those goods.

      Delete
  3. I'm surprised to hear that Woolworths ever did advertise with Alan Jones.For the last few years he's campaigned unrelentingly to have the ACCC act to smash the Woolworths/Coles grocery and petrol duopoly.That they continued to advertise with him after attack on attack would suggest they might have decided to earn some brownie points with our corrupt Government just in case the ACCC has started to take notice of Jones.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Prof, the Safeway banner has now largely succumbed to the Woolworth's banner in Victoria

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. From memory (never paid that much attention) mine has both brand names on the store's outside. Anyway, you get the point.

      Delete
  5. No problem. We shop at ALDI (which I have noticed keeps getting busier and busier), IGA, and the local butcher and green grocer. Anyone who shops at Woolworths or Coles, especially those on a budget or with a mortgage, is a money burning drongo.

    I won't be giving up the 260e though, Prof.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Protectionist nitwits? So dear Professor what has wreaked devastation on our once self reliant manufacturing industries that used to make nearly all our domestic products, such as Tv's and Fridges?

    Where once we had full employment we now have massive unemployment, what has brought this about?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh gawd! Just as well as a pensioner I wasn't hankering after trading in my old Mazda 3 on a Mercedes or Lexus!!

    As our local IGA burnt down six months ago, and won't be up and running for another month or two, I cannot boycott Wollies for some time yet,or I'd have to eat rough from a corner shop(probably buys from Woolies and adds on the cents etc) and the old cholesterol would take me over to my great detriment Guess I will have to satisfy my disgust with blogging and /or a letter to the fools!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Just buy generic/homebrand fizzy water from anywhere but Woolies (Coles and IGA often have 1.5 litres for 85 cents, sometimes 1.25l for 65 cents), drink some off, and pour some apple-blackberry cordial syrup in. Adding lime juice cordial (Rose's, Schweppes) instead also makes a very refreshing fizzy drink on hot days.

    Warm regards,

    Mum of 5

    ReplyDelete
  9. "To say the things he truly feels and not the words of one who kneels...'

    Alan Jones apology should have taken this sort of form:

    I apologise and deeply regret the hurt I might have given the Prime Minister with the words I used. Those words Were spoken to a select group of people and were not intended for her ears. I repeat that I regret that she heard them,but do not resile from them.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Where is the free speech? Australia is a worry...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Elizabeth (Lizzie) B.October 2, 2012 at 7:59 PM

      Greg Hunt has a useful article in today's Oz showing the political hypocrisy involved in the great hoo-haa about all of this. Plenty of examples of Labor supporters and media saying much worse things, without censure.

      Many advertising commentators seem to feel this is a one-week wonder anyway, Prof, and that the advertisers will soon be back when the fuss dies away. Media panics are the order of the political day it seems.

      Delete
  11. Probably afraid ofvthem batchlers of them yarts wot runs the onions,they threatened to pull out the low paid workers on strike if they didnt do what "the Officials " told them !union creditcard users of the world you nits! Or words to that effect,

    ReplyDelete
  12. I agree, those companies are cowards. His show has ratings, they indicate how popular he is. Organised boycott campaigns are just another variation of mob rule and Woolworths are shameful for letting the mob dictate them.

    And if you want to really make a statement, take a picture of your Coles (or other) receipt and send it to Woolworths with "I support free speech" or similar written on it.

    ReplyDelete
  13. There's always Aldi's and IGA stores also.

    Unfortunately it may be difficult for me to boycott Woolies.

    Mrs B does most of the shopping and their store near us has better parking than most of it's rivals.

    As well she looks with a certain amount of "disrespect" on my interest in politics and enlisting her in support of Alan Jones may be fruitless.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I read that Coles has also pulled its advertising.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Coles, Woolworths, Mercedes-Benz, ING Direct, Dilmah Tea, Bing Lee, Freedom Furniture and the finance management firm Challenger all dropped their sponsorship on Monday.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I'd like to see those who desert Woolworths/Safeway, try and patronise small business....local greengrocer, butcher etc.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Alan Jones' comment would only have been hurtful if it were true. These companies are behaving as cowards. I will shop at Aldi and send the receipt as suggested by DaveA

    ReplyDelete
  18. •Challenger -
    I dont know who or what they are.

    •Mercedes-Benz- Can't afford one anyway, I am not a member of the Greens/Labor/ABC/assorted Lefties

    •Woolworths -
    Sour Grapes, Alan Jones attacked them for destroying the little shops for a long time.

    •Lexus of Parramatta
    Dont like Lexus or Parramatta

    •Freedom Furniture
    Never was "value for money" anyway.


    •Dilmah Tea
    That homely indinan voice ad has irritated me for soo long. When you buy Tea, buy fair trade.

    •Bing Lee

    Bing Lee? The only good thing was the writer of their advertising scetches. I hope "the Good Guys" are not as gutless, I like shopping there.


    •ING Direct
    Dont know them.


    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fair trade is a con? Tell me more. I hate being conned. truly.

      And while I'm here, the execrable Harvey Norman has joined the lynch mob, I just sent of this little missive to them:

      Letter to Harvey Norman 3.10.2012
      I am buying a new computer this week-end, and a smart phone. I also need to replace my TV very soon.

      I was going to buy all those items at Harvey Norman but will not do so now nor in the future, because I find your attitude towards the Alan Jones Program on Radio 2GB shameful. Harvey Norman is cowardly and running with the pack in giving in to a Left-orchestrated "public backlash". Alan Jones has more listeners who fall into the category that buy at Harvey Norman, than your left bullies who despise Harvey Norman any way>
      Shame on you.
      signed

      Delete
    2. Some info:
      1. http://www.cato.org/pubs/journal/cj27n1/cj27n1-9.pdf
      2. http://www.ssireview.org/articles/entry/the_problem_with_fair_trade_coffee

      Cheers

      Delete
    3. Elizabeth (Lizzie) B.October 3, 2012 at 1:44 PM

      Rita, Rita, letter rita. Wot a good letter, Rita. Well ritten. Rite on.

      Delete
  19. PS: the funniest comment I read today (well it made me laugh - and yes I have bad taste):

    “If Gillard’s father didn’t die of shame, he should have.”

    ReplyDelete
  20. Walter Plinge of TemplestoweOctober 2, 2012 at 4:23 PM

    I don't give two hoots about Jones' comments on the PM's deceased father. It was just a little thing but something for the hard left to tar the Abbott with. But I do care that Jones is a protectionist -- and hence a neanderthal. He's old enough to have lived under the protectionist racket of earlier times and should know better. Surely he remembers second-rate cars of marginal reliability and TVs that cost a month or more wages.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Protectionism is a racket? How do you think the middle class came about? What was once in place that gave us full employment, can you tell me that? Did you know that this nation used to make nearly everything that we now have to import, even light bulbs? How did that come about?

      Did you know that items manufactured in the 1960's still function today? The cost of motor vehicles was a lot cheaper compared to what you will pay today and yes, some items were expensive such as tv's, but that was only because they were fairly new on the market, they did get cheaper as the years went on.

      What happens if we go to war with China, a country that now supplies much of what we use?

      Have you thought about that one?

      Delete
    2. Yep, sure have. No need for China to declare war on Oz. They already have us by the short and curlies. First firm squeeze, they stop buying our minerals, gas etc: result financial chaos. Second harder squeeze, they stop selling us manufactured goods. Result, complete chaos, country grinds to a halt. At least 80% of products sold in Oz are made in China.(Have you thought about that one?) Then they say "we will resume trade if you GIVE us top half of WA", we say no, so they decide to come and take it anyway. Will the Poms and Septics come to our aid? Nope. We are on our own, but hey if their navy manages to get past our patrol boats I'm sure those 54 tanks we have will send em packing if they ever land on Oz soil.
      Regards ,W154

      Delete
    3. "Protectionism is a racket?"

      Yes. Yes, it is. You're welcome!

      Delete
  21. I'm a little astonished Prof and wonder if there are personal issues bwteen you and Jones. Sure, there's stuff to dislike about him, he has some nutty ideas, but he's a conservative voice in an overwhelmingly bien-pensant media and he's dead right about this shiftless, poll-driven, unprincipled, dishonest rabble that poses as a federal governmment.
    Moreover the "boycott Jones' advertisers" campaign, so sanctimoniously driven by the chattering classes, and supported by this dreadful government is overblown and hypocritical. I can't believe you are supporting it. It's not like you at all. So tell us, why do you hate Jones so much that you want to see him driven from the airwaves? Why are you climbing into bed with the Labor Party, getup, and all the other self-regarding twits of the left?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Uh, you do realise that the Professor is advocating boycotting the advertisers who are boycotting Jones, don't you?

      Delete
    2. Anon, you miss the point of Bunyip's post. He is urging a boycott of the boycotters that are withdrawing their sponsorship. Think about it.

      Pedro of Adelaide

      Delete
  22. Never met the man, Anon. Did, however, grow up in an era and a country with tariff-protected crap cars, which manufacturers had no incentive to improve.

    Jones is being lynched. He was actually praising Gillard's dad, or at least giving him the benefit of the doubt. What decent man would not be appalled by a home-wrecking, lying trollop for a daughter?

    He has some valid points about CSG -- landowners' property rights, basicaly -- but is well over the top about the rest of it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What was the level of turd world immigration like then?

      The baby boomers have increased the standard of living but long term I think you have probably sold us down the drain.

      Delete
    2. Mr Bunyip - they may have been "tariff-protected cars" but they were generally reliable and you could fix most problems yourself - not like the new ones that need a bank loan to service and, God forbid, a major breakdown costing your first-born and having to put the missus on the street to earn the cash.

      Delete
  23. "What decent man would not be appalled by a home-wrecking, lying trollop for a daughter?"
    Gee mate I just love the way you hone in like a scud missile on the most salient point.

    ReplyDelete
  24. It crossed my mind that perhaps Mr Gillard was going to spill the beans on the Wilson/AWU scandal.
    You know how it is,"Whatever it takes".

    ReplyDelete
  25. I note that Woolworthless excuses its head of government affairs Simon Berger because he was at the Sydney University Liberal Club dinner in a private capacity. Yet they do not extend that allowance to Alan Jones who I believe was at the dinner in a private capacity. He wasn't broadcasting from the dinner. Very hypocritical of Woolworthless to single Jones out.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Yes, he is being lynched - just not sure why you are joining the lynch mob with your "boycott woollies" post.

    It will be a sad day if the hypoocritical, sanctimonious, self-regarding rabble that constitutes the "left" in this country drive him off the airwaves.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Saddened Old-School TeacherOctober 2, 2012 at 11:10 PM

      Oh, how sad. Are you a victim of the "Education Revolution" or something, is that why you exhibit a reading comprehension level only slightly higher than primordial slime?

      Delete
    2. Well, nice. Are you a saddened, and rather bitter, old schoolteacher?

      Delete
  27. Sorry Bunyip, I (Anon who criticised you for advocating a boycott of Wollies) did entirely miss the point of your post -- which was to spurn the gutless advertisers who deserted Jones under pressure from the aforementioned hypocritical, sanctimonious, self-regarding rabble that constitutes the left in this country, and their mendacious, poll-driven, principle-free Federal Government.
    Whoops. Incipient Altzheimers perhaps. Anyway glad that it all makes sense.

    ReplyDelete