GroceryChoice and the BS from the big supermarkets

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2 total messages Started by Jonathan Wilson Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:04

#354

Author: Jonathan Wilson
Date: Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:04

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The big supermarkets are arguing that they dont have the information on 
prices in a digital format that can be sent to GroceryChoice.
Thats a lie, they DO have it in a digital format. Every checkout in every 
woolworths or coles store is linked to a database that matches the name of 
the product (for printing on the screen and on the receipt), the bar code 
and the current price (including any double deals, buy-one-get-one-free 
etc). Really they just need an automated batch process to grab that 
information (those 3 pieces of info) from the database and send it to the 
GroceryChoice servers (they all have communications of some kind to run the 
EFTPOS machines if nothing else so they have communications links that can 
be used to send this info)

The real story is that the big supermarkets dont want people to know which 
of the stores in their local area is the cheapest/best value (since that 
would quite likely result in less profit for the big supermarkets than 
where the people would otherwise go)

Re: GroceryChoice and the BS from the big supermarkets

#356

Author: David Clayton
Date: Thu, 02 Jul 2009 07:29

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On Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:04:55 +0800, Jonathan Wilson wrote:

> The big supermarkets are arguing that they dont have the information on
> prices in a digital format that can be sent to GroceryChoice. Thats a
> lie, they DO have it in a digital format. Every checkout in every
> woolworths or coles store is linked to a database that matches the name
> of the product (for printing on the screen and on the receipt), the bar
> code and the current price (including any double deals,
> buy-one-get-one-free etc). Really they just need an automated batch
> process to grab that information (those 3 pieces of info) from the
> database and send it to the GroceryChoice servers (they all have
> communications of some kind to run the EFTPOS machines if nothing else
> so they have communications links that can be used to send this info)
> 
> The real story is that the big supermarkets dont want people to know
> which of the stores in their local area is the cheapest/best value
> (since that would quite likely result in less profit for the big
> supermarkets than where the people would otherwise go)

Absolutely correct, I administer retail systems and there is no technical
issue whatsoever in being able to export the database contents, it is just
a matter of desire and motivation.

There is little to prevent each supermarket of any significant size in
Australia being able to send a nightly dump of UPN codes and prices to a
central destination, and then have that data processed and available for
the public to peruse the next day. Once set up, it is essentially a
zero-cost exercise so that excuse evaporates as well.

This is one of the most blatant examples of big business having government
bent over with their pants down since.... since.... since the last one
(which was probably not that long ago)!     :-(

-- 
Regards, David.

David Clayton
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Knowledge is a measure of how many answers you have, intelligence is a
measure of how many questions you have.

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