The boss of Woolworths Australia has stormed out of an interview with the ABC after he was questioned over alleged price gouging.
South African-born Brad Banducci sat down with ABC reporter Angus Grigg for the interview, which appeared in a Four Corners episode about Australia's cost of living and food prices on Monday.
Grigg said he asked basic questions about market competition.
"Rod Sims, the former head of the ACCC [Australian Competition and Consumer Commission], says that we have one of the most concentrated supermarkets [industries] in the world, is he lying?" he asked Banducci.
"It's not true," Banducci spoke over him.
"This community over here, there will be three Coles stores within 2km of it, at least one Aldi store, a series of independents," he added.
"It is an incredibly competitive market."
Grigg cut him off: "I'm sorry, the former head of the competition commission says…"
"Retired, by the way," Banducci interrupted back.
"I don't think you would impugn his integrity and his understanding of competition law," Grigg said.
The world has got "much more competitive", Banducci replied, to which Grigg said he only retired "18 months ago".
Caught off guard, Banducci then asked to remove his comments from the interview.
"Well, can we take that out? Is that OK?" he said.
"I mean he is retired, but I shouldn't have said that, Angus. Are we going to leave it in there?"
Grigg responded the interview was "on the record, you said it. Let's just move on."
One of Banducci's personal staff can be heard in the background suggesting he leave.
"I think I'm done guys," he says to the ABC team as he stands up.
"I don't do this for bad intent."
His staff then ask Grigg: "Can we just talk to Brad for a sec?"
Banducci eventually comes back and the interview resumes.
Grigg said it shows how little scrutiny large supermarket companies have been under.
"There you have the boss of the largest supermarket chain in the country really unwilling to face too many questions," he told ABC's News Breakfast on Tuesday.
It comes as Australian supermarket chains Coles and Woolworths face increasing pressure over the high cost of food in Australia.
Both are due to appear before Australia's Senate this year, as part of an inquiry into their market power and pricing decisions.
Woolworths Australia posted a net profit of $1.62 billion last financial year, while the earnings for its food division rose nearly 20 percent.
The Commerce Commission here published its report into supermarket pricing in March 2022, which found supermarket competition "isn't working well for consumers".
The scrutiny on Woolworths' boss comes as rodent infestations plague several supermarkets around Aotearoa.
Woolworths New Zealand director Pieter de Wet, also born in South Africa, apologised to customers last week after rats were caught at some Countdown supermarkets.
