Tim Tam wars: Arnott's refuses to supply Coles with popular biscuit brands amid a bitter disagreement over price hikes
- Tim Tams at centre of a bitter 'biscuit war' amid disagreement over prices
- Biscuit maker Arnott's has 'refused' to supply Coles with six varieties
- Coles supermarkets refused to accept an 'unjustified' 10 per cent price rise
- Executive at chain claimed that Arnott's 'refused' to give them any 'detail'
They are one of Australia's favourite sweet treats, but Tim Tams are now at the centre of a bitter 'biscuit war' amid disagreement over price hikes.
Arnott's, the country's largest biscuit maker, refused to supply Coles with six varieties of the chocolate biscuits after the supermarket chain rejected an 'unjustified' 10 per cent price rise.
As a result of the price disagreement, Coles is no longer stocking the Tim Tam multi-packs as well as the coconut cream, choc raspberry and salted caramel varieties.
Scroll down for video
Arnott's, the country's largest biscuit maker, has reportedly refused to supply Coles with six varieties of Tim Tams (pictured) amid disagreement over price hikes
The dispute erupted in October when Arnott's demanded price rises of up to 10 per cent for some of its biscuits, including Scotch Finger, Teddy Bear, Monte Carlo and TeeVee Snacks.
Campbell Soup Co, the US company that owns Arnott's, also requested a similar price hike on several lines of Campbell's cooking stock.
Coles managing director, John Durkan, told The Australian that the chain was forced to refuse the price increase for Tim Tams as Arnott's 'refused' to give them the detail.
'When we refused the cost increase Arnott's refused to supply us,' he said.
After two weeks, Coles eventually accepted price rises of up to 9.9 per cent on 44 Arnott's biscuit products that were deemed 'must have' items, including the original Tim Tam 200g packets.
The supermarket chain also bowed to the pressure with some other Arnott's brands such as Scotch Finger, Teddy Bear, TeeVee Snacks and Monte Carlo.
But Coles refused to allow price hikes on 10 other products and these will be removed from the Coles range after existing stock sells out.
'Coles has made a commitment to bring down the cost of shopping for our customers, and we have been doing that every year for the past six years,' a Coles spokesman said.
'So when a major international manufacturer decides they will unilaterally force through a price hike without justification, we will resist that.'
Coles is no longer stocking the Tim Tam multi-packs as well as the coconut cream, choc raspberry and salted caramel varieties
Tim Tam Zumbo Coconut Cream, Tim Tam Zumbo Choc Raspberry and Tim Tam Zumbo Salted Caramel are among the products that will no longer be available at Coles.
Chocolicious Tim Tam Multipack: Caramel, Dark and Original have also been removed, as well as Twisted Faves Monte Carlo: Salted Caramel, Twisted Faves Shortbread: Strawberry Cream and Arnott's Chocolate Biscuits: Royal Dark.
A spokeswoman for Arnott's told The Australian that the company was not restricting the supply of biscuits to Coles.
Arnott's has been contacted for a comment.
Most watched News videos
- New video shows Epstein laughing and chasing young women
- British Airways passengers turn flight into a church service
- Epstein describes himself as a 'tier one' sexual predator
- Skier dressed as Chewbacca brutally beaten in mass brawl
- Two schoolboys plummet out the window of a moving bus
- Buddhist monks in Thailand caught with a stash of porn
- Melinda Gates says Bill Gates must answer questions about Epstein
- Police dog catches bag thief who pushed woman to the floor
- Holly Valance is shut down by GB News for using slur
- Sarah Ferguson 'took Princesses' to see Epstein after prison
- JD Vance turns up heat on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
- China unveils 'Star Wars' warship that can deploy unmanned jets
