Woolworth Ltd chief executive Michael Luscombe isn't fazed by regular criticism of the pricing power of Australia's big two supermarket chains on Sydney's most successful talkback radio station.
Top rating radio presenter Alan Jones has raised issues such as geographical pricing and the impact on smaller retailers of industry giants Woolworths and the Wesfarmers Ltd-owned Coles group during his 2GB morning show.
"Alan is in the entertainment business, I'm in the retailing business," Mr Luscombe said on Wednesday during a teleconference for analysts in response to a question about whether he had done anything to personally upset Mr Jones.
Responding to a remark by one analyst that there seemed to be a war going on between the pair, Mr Luscombe said: "A war requires two parties and there's no war from my side.
"I'm 56 years old today and one of the things you learn over that amount time is not to take things too seriously.
"You need to recognise that people are in business to make a buck and let them make a buck by doing what they do."
The Woolworths chief was speaking after the retailing supermarkets, liquor and general merchandise group released its 2008/09 sales results.
Woolworths increased group sales by 7.5 per cent on a 52 week basis to $49.595 billion, from the previous year.
Sales for the fourth quarter of its financial year rose 5.4 per cent to $11.15 billion, on a comparable 12-week basis.
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