Woolworths steals Frankie's ideas

[adrianh]

Eish...Woolworths must think that the entire world is totally doff. They blatantly rip off the Frankie's products, packaging and flavours and then have the audacity to say that the idea just came to them. What, in a daydream 1 year ago when Frankie's showed Woolworths their products?

This issue just goes to show once again that corporates are like sharks - they devour everything in their path eventhough they claim to hold all sorts of lofty ideals. Like the proverbial scorpion riding on the back of the frog, the corporate will sting the little guy sooner or later simply because it is in its nature to do so.

Check out Woolworths on Facebook, they are taking a beating. They are also too chicken....t to go onto 702 & Cape Talk to defend their actions

WOOLWORTHS SUCKS!

[desA]

I saw this. Frankie's Facebook page has a lot more detail.

This can be doing WoolRipp's reputation no good. Serves them right. Even ripped off the flavour names.

[adrianh]

You know really, they must have rocks in their heads! Even the dumbest ripoff artist won't use the same flavour names when the names are soooooooooooo obvious.

The mind just boggles at the stupidity of people.

To be honest, I think it was probably some little nignog in the company that was trying to get ahead and pitched the idea. The nignog probably thought that nobody would realize. But even so, a company this size should do the research before they go ahead and put a product on the market.

[Newretailer]

I stopped buying clothes from Woollies when they replaced their excellent quality with imported stuff that falls apart.

I just listened to a number of people who phoned in and said that W does this on a regular basis with small businesses. Get them in, pretend to be interested and then decline. In no time the same products appear as an in house brand. Very unethical for a company who is building their whole image on ethical behaviour.

[tec0]

Got any links for the rest of us to follow up on?

edit***

link

Jip this sucks, A consumer strike may be the thing to do here. Why support them at all?
I am closing my account when I wake-up tomorrow if I have the option to give a reason I will just point to this story.

[tec0]

We believe that the allegations made against Woolworths are unfounded. We have not infringed any copyright, intellectual property nor registered trade mark. We have also not been contacted by the ASA or any other appropriate authority about these allegations.

Source Food24

Thought as much denial and law... Truth is if they did this by the book they did it by the book. I am sure they did their research before making their own brand so they will probably be untouchable as is the norm lately. Right and wrong is just not worth anything anymore.

If they acted within the law then that is it basically. That said a consumer can still close their accounts with them. I wonder if a consumer strike will remind them that right is right and wrong is wrong?

Based on what the people are saying, I would be worried if I was "WoolRipp's" do they think the customers are happy about this ???

[Newretailer]

Here is a link to the 702 interview:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YSfyttWPi0&feature=youtu.be

It doesn't matter whether this is legal or not. Such unethical behaviour is just wrong. I have been getting fed up with Woolworths for a while now. I think it is time for me to find alternatives.

[tec0]

I think they need to consider the fact that the shoppers and people in general will not take kindly to this. This is not about a legal technicality anymore. Surly they must have considered how the consumers will react?

[adrianh]

I think that 99% of consumers don't care one way or another as long as they pay less.

[Newretailer]

I am not sure about this, Adrian. I believe the clothing side of Woolworths has taken a huge knock since they moved to Made in China. A friend's husband works for a company that does market analysis in different sectors and this came from him. I have noticed that they are scrambling to stock clothes made in other countries too.

I think W attracts the more thinking customer and they really go to great lengths to create a feel good experience because they are "green, ethical, support the small business". Something like this can do huge damage to this image they are tryng to create. I am quite shocked to hear that this is not a once-off event.

[Dave A]

By the looks of things this was run by the legal department before they went for it, but I wonder if it was run past marketing?
Or their ethics committee?*

I was happy to give Woolies the benefit of the doubt, until I heard they'd been approached a year earlier by Frankie's. That's pretty suspect!

*if they have one

[Newretailer]

Dave, it was not even a year , but in June this year. Plus they told them their product was not suitable for Woolworths. It will be interesting to see how this play out.

[adrianh]

You guys must listen to Bruce Whitfield's Money Show at 18h00 - 19h00 toninght on 702 & Cape Talk. Woolworths promised to go live on air and have their say.

[AndyD]

From a business point of view I don't see any IP theft so it's a matter of them having chosen a prefered supplier and it wasn't Frankies.

They're mistake is getting caught preaching one thing and doing entirely another. In this country they don't have the monopoly on this kind of behaviour to say the least. The general public are pretty used to hearing about it so if their pr machine spins it as a misunderstanding by Frankies along with the obvious sour grapes then it'll probably all blow over quite nicely.

[adrianh]

From a business point of view I don't see any IP theft so it's a matter of them having chosen a prefered supplier and it wasn't Frankies.

This is what Microsoft made us believe every time they destroyed a little company. The big shark just gobbles up the little guy and we say its cool, no problem, its ok for the little guy to go out of business because a big guy simply rolls over them. Hmmm...This is exactly why 3 directors of Walmart are said to be worth more than the lowest 30% of the entire American population...There comes a point where Capatalism breaks down, when there is nothing left excenp the entire population working their asses off to enrich a couple of fatcats who are not particularly bright, but positioned to gobble up the little guy.

You know I've always been a capatilist but I'm starting to have my doubts about the system. A system that deems it perfectly acceptable to roll over anybody they like because they have the cash to do so. I don't profess to have answeres but I do know that the crap is starting to hit the system in a very big way.

I think that Woolworths are a bunch of thieves that simply rolled over a little company. The rubbish that woman spoke on radio tonight simply proves it.