Dick Smith is many things: adventurer, pilot, electronics pioneer and Dickhead. This morning, as the entire world looks towards the US, the Aussie patriot has entered the debate around SPC Ardmona tomatoes debate with a spectacular spray delivered via media release.

The short version is this: Woolworth’s decision to change suppliers is a result of aggressive marketing by one of “the most ruthless retailers in the world,” - Aldi.

After spending 250 words putting the boot into the German giant, he deftly switches it up, shifting the blame to capitalism itself – something that ties nicely into his recent obsession with reducing population growth and maintaining an Australia-centric focus on investment and business.

 

 

The system is broken, he tells us. An interesting angle - especially given that capitalism has served him well over the years. Perhaps he’s just dirty that Woolworths has discontinued one of his product lines as well.

Anyway, for your amusement, here is Dick Smith’s rant in all its glory. Just keep in mind that this is a man that loves a bit of a stunt.

Just think of the children, will you?

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Dick Smith commercial via Youtube

 

“DON’T BLAME WOOLWORTHS FOR THE SPC ARDMONA DISASTER. BLAME OURSELVES AND CAPITALISM AS IT GETS TO THE LIMITS OF GREED,” SAYS DICK SMITH

“Credit rating agency, Moody’s, are not stupid. They are actually spot-on when they stated that “Aldi’s “maturing” customer base spells big trouble for the established players. 

“Nothing could be closer to the truth. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Aldi with its incredibly low overheads – they hardly employ any Australian staff – and its private ownership in Germany – they don’t have the high costs of public listing – will mean they will eventually send one or both of our Aussie shareholder owned food retailers out of business. 

 

 

“Aldi is one of the smartest and most ruthless retailers in the world. Their greed is unlimited. Aldi Australia is now one-third the size of Coles and they haven’t opened in Australia for charitable reasons. They are here to eventually take hundreds of millions of dollars out of our country and repatriate this money to Germany.

“It’s clear that Woolworths and Coles will have to either replicate Aldi, that is, move to around 90 per cent home brand products and reduce their product selection from over twenty thousand to just a few thousand, while sacking most of their Aussie employees, or they will be sent into bankruptcy.

 

 

“Of course, as Aldi becomes more successful with lower and lower food prices Australian’s will become more and more obese with the associated health problems.

“And who will pay for that? Yes, Aussie taxpayers. Not the Albrecht family in Germany.

“And Australian parents, don’t think your children will have a “first” job stacking shelves at your local retailer. There will virtually be no jobs, as the Aldi formula is designed for very low staffing levels.

 “So don’t blame Woolworths or Coles and don’t even blame Aldi. It’s simply our system of extreme capitalism, with its need for perpetual growth. It will be so sad for our children,” Dick Smith added.

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A few facts from Dick Smith:

SPC manufactured IXL jam (an Australian icon) sells at 72 cents per 100g. The Aldi equivalent Grandessa signature product sells at 28 cents per 100g. Yes, that’s nearly one-third the price! Aldi’s premium product, their Grandessa signature strawberry jam, sells at 55 cents per 100g and is totally imported from Belgium.

And wait for it! Woolworths have now said they will be discontinuing Dick Smith’s Australian Grown strawberry fruit spread. Why? Possibly because it sells at $1.61 per 100g, whereas the totally French grown and imported equivalent, St. Dalfour, sells at $1.41 per 100g.