ai surveillance, coles, palantir, profits, supermarket, woolworths

The Secret Sauce of Coles’ and Woolworths’ Profits: High-Tech Surveillance and Control

Coles and Woolworths, the supermarket chains that together control almost two-thirds of the Australian grocery market, are facing unprecedented scrutiny. One recent inquiry, commissioned by the Australian Council of Trade Unions and led by former Australian Consumer and Competition Commission chair Allan Fels, found the pair engaged in unfair pricing practices; an ongoing Senate inquiry ...

Troy Oakes

Dairy shelves at a supermarket.

Solving the Supermarket: Why Coles Just Hired U.S. Defense Contractor Palantir

What does the Australian supermarket chain Coles have in common with the CIA? As of last week, both are clients of Palantir Technologies, a U.S. tech company “focused on creating the world’s best user experience for working with data.” In a three-year deal, Coles plans to deploy Palantir’s tools across more than 840 supermarkets to ...

Troy Oakes

A Coles supermarket.

A Mustard Seed Supply Shortage Is Looming on the Horizon

It seems that the world is staring at a supply shortage of major food grains used for making edible oils. In many countries, including Germany, mustard producers are talking about supply bottlenecks. Owing to unforeseen mustard seed shortages, mustard prices may soar upward in Germany, as is being speculated. Of course, this is not without ...

Jack Roberts

A bowl of mustard seeds.