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Ask New Zealand how a grocery duopoly is going, it's bad for both consumers and producers. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/489686/fruit-and-vegetable-costs

Ask New Zealand how a grocery duopoly is going, it's bad for both consumers and producers. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/489686/fruit-and-vegetable-costs-up-22-percent-as-annual-food-price-inflation-soars https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/489686/fruit-and-vegetab...

euroderf 3y ago
There was a big duopoly in the Finnish market, between the K chain and the S chain. But then Lidl (Aldi) (German chain) moved in and shook things up.
- christophilus 3y ago
  Is Aldi owned by Lidl? We have both here in South Carolina. They seem quite different. I like one and not the other. Edit: It appears they aren’t related corporations.
  - euroderf 3y ago
    Same family, but post-dispute. IIRC.
    - Kwpolska 3y ago
      Nope, you’re thinking of Aldi Nord/Aldi Süd. Both are present in Germany and in the US (with one under the "Trader Joe’s" brand, other countries are served by just one of them.
      - euroderf 3y ago
        Ach du lieber-schlieber, you are right. I stand corrected.
        beebeepka 3y ago
        Lidl's sibling is Kaufland. Both owned by a single company: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwarz_Gruppe https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwarz_Gruppe
dgellow 3y ago
In Switzerland we have a duopoly since forever, Coop vs Migros. Aldi and Lidl are also players but it is still mainly a duopoly. And that worked quite well, at least for the ~25 years I lived there.
- pinkcan 3y ago
  AFAIK these are also weird orgs of the cooperative type. Each having over 2 million members probably helps keep the prices sane. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Migros https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Migros https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coop_(Switzerland) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coop_(Switzerland)
  - dgellow 3y ago
    Yes, you’re correct they are both cooperative type of organization. They are also integral part of the Swiss culture and identity, and are present all over the country, it’s not uncommon to find a Migros in a small village where you wouldn’t expect one. Note that Switzerland is really a weird country, it’s difficult to compare it with other places.
  - Ekaros 3y ago
    Looking at Finnish https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S_Group https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S_Group which is cooperative of cooperative. The prices aren't that much better than the competing group of privately owned shops. And I always wondered if the goal is to provide service to customers/"owners" why are they expanding outside their geographical areas like to other countries.
- avidiax 3y ago
  https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/business/price-is-right-_swiss-supermarkets-enjoy-big-margins/42977680 https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/business/price-is-right-_swiss-... Coop and Migros have the biggest margins in Europe. Hardly the picture of competition. Seems more like tacit collusion.
  - EdwardDiego 3y ago
rjh29 3y ago
UK food prices were (until recently) very low relative to income, because we have about 7 major national supermarket chains.
danlindley 3y ago
A similar situation exists in Australia. It feels like we are the land of the duopoly, not at all helped by the cosy relationship between regulators, business, and government. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-23/supermarket-profits-surge-as-inflation-spikes-coles-woolworths/102004616 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-23/supermarket-profits-s...

euroderf 3y ago

There was a big duopoly in the Finnish market, between the K chain and the S chain. But then Lidl (Aldi) (German chain) moved in and shook things up.

christophilus 3y ago
Is Aldi owned by Lidl? We have both here in South Carolina. They seem quite different. I like one and not the other. Edit: It appears they aren’t related corporations.
- euroderf 3y ago
  Same family, but post-dispute. IIRC.
  - Kwpolska 3y ago
    Nope, you’re thinking of Aldi Nord/Aldi Süd. Both are present in Germany and in the US (with one under the "Trader Joe’s" brand, other countries are served by just one of them.
    - euroderf 3y ago
      Ach du lieber-schlieber, you are right. I stand corrected.
      - beebeepka 3y ago
        Lidl's sibling is Kaufland. Both owned by a single company: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwarz_Gruppe https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwarz_Gruppe

dgellow 3y ago

In Switzerland we have a duopoly since forever, Coop vs Migros. Aldi and Lidl are also players but it is still mainly a duopoly. And that worked quite well, at least for the ~25 years I lived there.

pinkcan 3y ago
AFAIK these are also weird orgs of the cooperative type. Each having over 2 million members probably helps keep the prices sane. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Migros https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Migros https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coop_(Switzerland) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coop_(Switzerland)
- dgellow 3y ago
  Yes, you’re correct they are both cooperative type of organization. They are also integral part of the Swiss culture and identity, and are present all over the country, it’s not uncommon to find a Migros in a small village where you wouldn’t expect one. Note that Switzerland is really a weird country, it’s difficult to compare it with other places.
- Ekaros 3y ago
  Looking at Finnish https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S_Group https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S_Group which is cooperative of cooperative. The prices aren't that much better than the competing group of privately owned shops. And I always wondered if the goal is to provide service to customers/"owners" why are they expanding outside their geographical areas like to other countries.
avidiax 3y ago
https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/business/price-is-right-_swiss-supermarkets-enjoy-big-margins/42977680 https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/business/price-is-right-_swiss-... Coop and Migros have the biggest margins in Europe. Hardly the picture of competition. Seems more like tacit collusion.
- EdwardDiego 3y ago

rjh29 3y ago

UK food prices were (until recently) very low relative to income, because we have about 7 major national supermarket chains.

danlindley 3y ago

A similar situation exists in Australia. It feels like we are the land of the duopoly, not at all helped by the cosy relationship between regulators, business, and government. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-23/supermarket-profits-surge-as-inflation-spikes-coles-woolworths/102004616 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-23/supermarket-profits-s...