The Chamber of Minerals and Energy has revealed a drop in the number of women in management roles, while BHP and Western Power announce diversity achievements.
Wesfarmers boss Rob Scott and FMG founder Andrew Forrest are likely to be the only Perth-based business leaders at next week's jobs summit in Canberra, with Meg O'Neill a conspicuous absentee.
National retail spending fell by a worse-than-expected 0.5 per cent in a fire-affected December, however, retail giant Coles recorded a surprisingly strong Christmas period.
Coles' full-year profit has slipped 9.1 per cent to $1.43 billion, despite an increase in supermarket comparable sales as it invested in supply chain improvements and restructured following its spin-off from Wesfarmers.
Coles shares have hit a new high after the supermarket announced a $1 billion cumulative savings target over four years to compete with new discount grocery market arrivals such as Lidl and Kaufland.
Coles will spend up to $150 million over the next four years to double its home delivery capacity after signing a deal to use tech from UK online supermarket Ocado.
Coles is offloading management of its 87 pubs, including four in Western Australia, in a $200 million deal with private equity controlled Australian Venue Co.
Coles' supermarket sales slowed during the run-up to Christmas, while the newly demerged retailer's first-half profit slipped 29 per cent to $381 million as restructuring costs weighed on the balance sheet.
Coles has signed a new deal with petrol partner Viva Energy Australia after predicting earnings from its convenience store division to plunge this year more than 60 per cent.
Coles will make a $146 million pre-tax provision in its first-half results as part of a distribution network overhaul that will cut both costs and jobs.
Investors have welcomed today's news that Wesfarmers plans to spin-off supermarket giant Coles and create a separately listed business that would rank among the 30 biggest on the Australian stock market.
