They’re at it again. Bullying small businesses catering to
the niche market of British expats and former OE-ers who discovered decent
products during their time in the old country. I mean, beautiful as this
country is, it’s really not survivable without Walkers Crisps, Frank Coopers
Marmalade, Yorkshire Tea and mushy peas, is it?
They successfully stood over my own local supplier of
unavailable or unmatched delicacies (Onehunga English Corner Shop – plug plug,
it’s on Victoria street) now they’re trying the same tactics on a similar shop in Richmond.
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| This is what a pot of Marmite looks like |
My message to Sanitarium is simple: Nobody who buys Weetabix
is under any illusion that it’s the same inferior, minced-cardboard tasting,
product that you purvey under a similar-sounding brand name; just as nobody is
under any illusion that the let’s-try-and-imitate-Vegemite black gunk you’ve
run into production problems with, bears any relation to actual Marmite. Clue:
it’s got sugar in it, you’re doing it wrong.
My message to the government is equally simple: If this
company is going to act like a standard corporate bully, it’s high time they
were treated like one and had their Company Tax exemption by dint of being a “religious
organisation” removed.
9 comments:
Surely they could meet in the middle. How about a sign next to the goods in the store specifically stating that it is the English version not the Sanitarium version?
An outright ban seems pointless to me.
My understanding is that Sanitarium are prohibited from selling their far superior products in Pomland and the Poms from selling their inferior crap in Godzone.
This works well until some bloody whingeing Pom decides he's above the law.
As an aside some years ago a Pom acquaintance raved about Walkers crisps to the point where I decided to try them for myself.
I'm still trying to get the taste out of my mouth and eliminate the memory.
Tinman - your taste buds have obviously been atrophied by too long an existence here.
However, I'll point out the factual error, that Sanitarium's (presumably named for where you should be sent if you believe their stuff is edible) minced cardboard is sold in London by mirror-image establishments to Bob's Emporium.
It does indeed all work well until some tax-dodging corporate gets their knickers in a twist. I can only put it down to a desire to prevent locals learning that they've been duped into substandard rubbish all these years.
Excellent post JS. And that the first two comments are from readers at the opposite end of the spectrum on the issue suggests that this is not a black-and-white issue, and that Sanitarium's response deserves more widespred debate. Good stuff!
Unfortunately the main point is probably lost in the UK v NZ banter.
Sanitarium are a very big, commercial enterprise, yet on both sides of the Tasman they hold tax-exempt status as a "religious organisation" which gives them an unfair advantage over their competitors.
Not content with this, they also want to squash small businesses exploiting a tiny specialist niche market.
It's time this exemption disappeared.
It's also time the "religious organisation" exemption disappeared full stop, but that's another argument.
Or, as brand expert has said, Sanitarium are in danger of harming their brand. Just as Cadbury's did in using Palm Oil brands are more important than this petty move by Sanitarium
By the way - what religious group are they?
@ Richard; strongly affiliated to the Seventh Day Adventist church
I had forgotten how delicious *Weetabix* is until I bought a box last month. It just confirmed that I have been right to avoid Sanitarium's rubbish.
Medusa
Another example of Sanitarium bullying over UK marmite today. It is pathetic, there is no reason for them to be such bullies. It puts me off supporting their products.
Get over yourselves Sanitarium and let this small business get on with it without having to deal with your pathetic- ness.
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