Strasburger Enterprises (Properties) Pty Ltd - s.87B undertaking

Quix operates 99 convenience stores across Australia, except the Northern Territory and Tasmania, retailing automotive products, groceries, fast food, and other consumable products. In conjuction with the convenience stores, Quix also sells Mobil branded petroleum.

Commission pricing surveys in May and August 2000 revealed price changes in Quix stores, following the introduction of the New Tax System, that were not in accordance with Commission expectations. Later surveys related to mainly grocery products remained at the August 2000 level. These surveys related to mainly grocery products and did not include petroleum. Quix initially recognised a problem with the pricing of soap and suncreen only, but following a thorough examination of wholesale and retail pricing by the Commission, the company subsequently accepted that more wide-spread overcharging, mainly on grocery-type items, was occuring and that it had breached the price exploitation provisions of the Trade Practices Act 1974.

In September 2001 Strasburger Enterprises (Properties) Pty Ltd (trading as Quix Food Stores) proposed, and the Commission accepted, Federal Court enforceable undertakings to overcome the Commission's concerns of over-pricing at all it's stores.

In addition to stopping the conduct, Quix undertook to:

• commission an independent audit to assess how much it has over-charged consumers in all products in the beverage, confectionery and grocery products range;
• reduce prices on 283 products to refund the amount over-charged on;
• advise consumers of the reduced prices by corrective notices placed in-store and in major daily newspapers in each State and Territory where it operates; and
• implement a trade practices compliance program