It is my melancholy duty to inform everyone that after 19 years, I’ve had to make the decision to close Dick Smith Foods.
It’s really sad – the reasons are covered in the attached letter (see link below), which I sent yesterday to our three major retail supporters, Coles, Woolworths and Metcash (IGA). I thank everyone for the incredible support over the years.
If you look at the graph shown on page 2 of the letter, you’ll see that our sales had continued drop until about 2010 and at that stage, I was considering closing the business down. If you remember, I made announcements at the time. However, everyone came out with incredible support and I put in a lot of extra time in trying to revitalise the brand. As you can see, we had a small blip in sales, but then once we stopped selling our products at cost or less than cost, the sales started dropping again.
It’s amazing that foreign-owned Aldi is now our most trusted brand, whereas Coles, Woolworths and Metcash (IGA) have done everything they can to try and keep our products on the shelves, are not as respected.
Thanks again to everyone for the wonderful support. Our suppliers are going to keep our products on the shelves as long as they can, so please look for them and try to support them. In some cases, they may have to import from overseas to compete with Aldi, but that’s the marketplace these days!
I am really concerned about the future for our children and grandchildren.
Regards
Dick Smith
Read letter to Coles-Woolworths IGA re closure of Dick Smith Foods here.
You are a mate, leader and true blue Australian thank you for changing peoples lives, doing what makes you happy and giving back to our land and people.
Blessings for you and your family.
What do I do now????
I have 3 special needs children who will only eat Dick Smith products
Your tomato sauce peanut butter ect your jams I’m doing my best to stock up as my children are very fussy eaters and will not eat any other brands
These kids have meltdowns due to there disabilities if I dont have there favs please pass this onto the farmers
We want there products
I am sad that the food line will disappear. I don’t buy Aldi food. I have tried their food and all I can say their knock-offs – well unprintable here. I have tried giving the family their range and have found food heading to the bin. That makes it expensive. They never do that with the Dick Smith range or any products made here in Australia. Let’s support our business and farmers, not foreign nationals who can’t make a donation to any Australian charity.
Very sad, a sign of the times. Without cheap food, many more Australians would be unable to feed themselves in light of low wages growth and high costs of living (power and housing esp). Sadly, going cheap hurts us all in the end. Also, Aldi does sell good lines at amazing prices, much of it Australian made/grown.
That is very depressing, Dick. However you have been able to support Australian businesses and charities for 19 years so that is something to celebrate. Unfortunately the reality is that price is the bottom line these days. I just wish that those people buying cheaper foods would look at the country of origin because in most cases it will not be Australia! And for those people who want to buy cheap but still have higher wages, wake up to yourself!
As a strong believer of buying local this really saddens me. Thank you for you efforts.
I feel for the people that have even less job security than before.
I hope the above gets through to where it should .
Dick, I’m ashamed to call myself Australian (note the smaller case “a”). Not only has this and previous governments to date totally stuffed up this country’s economy, but now with trans-shipment of northern cargos to the southern ports, the intention is clear. Destroy the north of the country to the benefit of the south. AND No relief to primary producers – our food suppliers if they were given half a chance, and now effectively no infrastructure to benefit the whole of the country. Millions of hectares of arable land for food production but no water. AND no water in the foreseeable future thanks to gutless politicians. I’m glad I only have a few years left to put up with this crap from idiots controlling the government. Australia is stuffed. Economically it will be a puppet to foreign governments while our erstwhile politicians calmly lie to us the public about how wonderful this country is – while it’s being raped of it’s natural resources necessary for future welfare of the population.. Disgusted!! and disillusioned by the very audacity of the political system allowing this to continue.
Keith Bagley North Queensland (P.O. Box 497 Ingham 4850)
Dear Dick Smith, Yes it is a very sad day for you, for your employees, for all the hard work you have put in to keep Dick Smith Foods as a producer of products, supporting Australian farmers going. I buy your orange marmalade, strawberry, raspberry jams also ozEmite, all my favourites. As for Aldi-=-our most trusted brand!! I just don`t get it. What about Woolworths, Coles etc They do the right thing, stock all brands, employee huge number of Australians and are public listed companies. I too wonder where we are heading. Best wishes to you for all you have done and for all your charity.
I remember being delighted when Dick Smith opened his Aussie company. We need more people like him who support Aussie farmers and manufacturers.
We have bought the peanut butter (the best in Oz), tomato sauce and jam. We are going to miss these quality products. When hearing the announcement, my mother said, “I will have to give up peanut butter because I can’t eat that other oily stuff”.
Australians should be ashamed that we failed to support such an honest, worthwhile and fabulous enterprise.
Dear Mr Smith, as I watched you telling us that Dick Smith Foods would be no more, and tears were shed, I too shed tears of disappointment and disbelief that such an iconic brand would be no more. My late Husband and I have bought your products from the moment they came onto the shelves, and I have continued to do so. I shall
be buying up all that I can when I go shopping tomorrow, as a life without these most
healthy products is going to be grim. The Bush Foods Cereal is the only one I eat, there is nothing which comes even close to it. I really sympathise with you, and am so
sorry your brand will no longer be available to us.
All the best for the future – and thank you Mr Smith.
Aurora Adrie Talaniekov
P.S. Have you ever considered standing for Federal Parliament? You would be such an asset in that role.
The failure was the Government’s FAULT, Dick! The labelling laws werent good enough! You cant read the content to see if product is Australian. Needs to be HUGE lettering On FRONT!
Just saw small lettering on pic I tweeted you. China, Argentina, 30%
Hi Dick, not knowing where the company is at the moment would you have considered instead of shutting down the production of the brand where you have been competing directly with the other major brands couldn’t we rebrand and turn it all into a premium product with some other embossed green and gold Aussie flag run it as a charity to minimise tax?. We then use this as a platform to give back to charity but position ourselves differently in the market while still supporting local farmers and production
Sad news indeed Dick. I was a long time customer of DSE until it went all consumer oriented. I remember many years ago when you advertised your imported goods were cheaper and you used to say “you reap the benefit”. You made money by being competitive. But I’m afraid what Aldi are doing is no different.
All the best.
Mr Smith, you did not fail with your food range! Australia has failed you! I’ve been buying varied products from your range including cereals and I’m an avid lover of ozenuts (crunchy) for years. I’m saddened with you! You are an amazing Australian. Unfortunately dollars overide principles these days. Chin up you have gone above and beyond! Believe you did your best! “Love ya work mate!” Xxoo
Dick Smith Come join us on face book, you need to realise that the so called Australian governments are operating unconstitutionally and are and have been since 1972 been committing treason against the people of this nation they are not fit to breath the same air as you and we the people Dick. Prison is where they belong. Assist us in our endeavors to that end. We have all the proof of their treachery, that’s why good Aussies like you can’t get ahead forget about a republic because if we become one we will fall totally into the hands of these rotten Devils and we will be truly enslaved under their treacherous system
Yes. It is sad.
Certainly something needs to change if we are not to become peasants.
I an sensitive re Australian made grocery supply. Seems Aldi has a greater % of Aussie brands than either of the two majors. All of the peanut products in my local Aldi are Aus products. My local major at best has a “made from Australian and imported ingredients” Sad to see Dick Smith go – I tried but my local major doesn’t carry Dick Smith brand peanut products or if they do they are well hidden
Thanks for fighting the good fight Dick
So sad. I have been buying your cereal for many years. I love it. I don’t shop at Also on principle.
Hello DSF,
Sad to see an Aussie icon emotional.. True thou innovation will always be challenged by enterprise, perhaps a supermarket that has a self loading and checkout would boost the innovation factor. I know as a recent spinal injury sufferer I’d take this option over any other.
Hi Dick
Your a good bloke trying to help Australians
I would like to work with you & think of some ways to help the poor families out in Australia
Just run by some ideas & if they can become fruitful as they say
Hopefully without a lot of your time & create some good
Their are vast ways with out useing up to much of your time
As I believe our good ideas can be handed on to true Australians
Meaning good careing & honest Peaple that is
A new politician needs to be grown & maybe a party of such can be achieved
Then some descisions can be made & some overturned
This is just a idea of many that can be talked about
its disgusting the way we are going
Because of the current ones .
I feel you have done a lot & you can’t do it by your self . I think you need to relax & enjoy your life & a man of your nature can achieve lots in many ways
I’d like to shout you a drink & some lunch
We fully agree with your statements regarding Australian Growth, the way Australia is now is the best, most precious and safest country in the world.
Why cannot it stay that way?
Looking at Brisbane, the Census shows a trend of many people leaving Brisbane and if the trend continues by 2025, more people will be leaving than arriving.
The BCC has become a “parking fine monster” with a 2018-2019 income target of $7.3 million in fines for its own residents, of which $3million is from parking fines.
Here at Mt Coot-tha we battle the very strong blast vibrations every week or fortnight, from the BCC owned and operated Mt Coot-tha quarry, which is being gutted to form a massive 14million cubic metre hole “Brisbanes Big Hole”, which will cost approximately $100 million to fill and another $100 million to rehabilitate.
The local residents are being hit by strong blast vibrations many times stronger than the Qld state and Australian maximums, but the Brisbane City Council ignores all the local residents attempts at mediation.
PRODUCT LABELLING is a major player here, I believe. Shopping with the best of intentions to support Australian producers & industry is hampered by (intentionally) poor labelling. More information about country of origin labelling is available from the ACCC website. Visit http://www.accc.gov.au/cool for details.