Terms of Reference

The Senate Select Committee on Supermarket Prices was appointed by resolution of the Senate on 6 December 2023, to inquire into and report on the price setting practices and market power of major supermarkets, with particular reference to:

  1. the effect of market concentration and the exercise of corporate power on the price of food and groceries;
  2. the pattern of price setting between the two major supermarket chains;
  3. rising supermarket profits and the large increase in price of essential items;
  4. the prevalence of opportunistic pricing, price mark-ups and discounts that are not discounts;
  5. the contribution of home brand products to the concentration of corporate power;
  6. the use of technology and automation to extract cost-savings from consumers and employees;
  7. improvements to the regulatory framework to deliver lower prices for food and groceries;
  8. frameworks to protect suppliers when interacting with the major supermarkets;
  9. the role of multinational food companies in price inflation; and
  10. any other related matters.

The committee is to present a final report by 7 May 2024.

The resolution establishing the Committee is available in the Journals of the Senate No. 93 – 6 December 2023.

Committee Secretariat contact:

Select Committee on Supermarket Prices
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

Phone: +61 2 6277 3585
supermarketprices.sen@aph.gov.au