ACCC's Rod Sims gives Woolworths and Coles a rocket over petrol shopper dockets Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) chairman Rod Sims. THE ACCC has warned Coles and Woolworths they are set to face court action over petrol shopper dockets, with chairman Rod Sims saying the increasingly big discounts are likely to be harming competition. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is close to finalising a more-than-year-long investigation into the impact of shopper dockets. Today Mr Sims said its "concerns have been intensified" by the expansion of the supermarket schemes, which now offer savings of as much as 45c per litre. The ACCC can't ban shopper dockets but it can take the supermarkets to court seeking an injunction. "While large shopper docket discounts provide short-term benefits to some consumers, the likely harm to other fuel retailers and therefore to competition and the competitive process for petrol retailing could well be substantial," Mr Sims said in a lunchtime speech in Melbourne today. "If Coles and Woolworths wish to offer their customers a discount, it should be off supermarket products, not petrol," Mr Sims said. The ACCC believes this activity is likely to have a negative effect on competition in the petrol industry. Over time, higher petrol prices could be the result. Australian Automobile Association executive director Andrew McKellar said: "Motorists are smarter than the supermarkets think they are and realise that excessive discounting is hurting competition. "Let's not kid anyone, supermarkets are not offering fuel discounts as a measure of goodwill or charity, they will be making up the profit elsewhere in their business," he said. "Discounts of 40c per litre or more are unsustainable in the long term and will drive out retailers not linked to the supermarket chains," Mr McKellar said. The Federal Government must ensure the ACCC has adequate powers to take action on Mr Sims concerns. The Coalition has indicated it wants to enhance the ACCC's powers. It is unclear where Labor stands. It went to the 2007 election promising to introduce a petrol commissioner to ensure motorists did not pay more than necessary for fuel. But last week Joe Dimasi, the man appointed to that role by now-Treasurer Chris Bowen, signalled he would quit the ACCC later this year. A Coles spokeswoman said: "Fuel dockets reduce the cost of motoring for millions of Australians ... they are helping hard-working families deal with the rising cost of living." In response to Mr Sims's comment that discounting should be contained to supermarket products, Coles said: "We think customers should have lower prices on groceries and be able to save on fuel." A Woolworths spokesman said: "Woolworths has been offering customers petrol discounts for 17 years to reward loyalty for shopping in our supermarkets. The standard offer has remained at 4c a litre and we also offer bigger savings from time to time depending on spending levels in store.