Coles, Woolworths Have Little Incentive to Compete: Inquiry

Australia’s two largest supermarket chains, Woolworths Group Ltd. and Coles Group Ltd., control such a large swathe of the market that there’s little incentive for them to compete, according to the nation’s competition regulator.

However, there’s no “silver bullet” to address their entrenched market dominance, the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission said in a report released Friday following a government-commissioned inquiry into grocery prices. The rising cost of living is set to be a key issue at the upcoming election.