June 19th 2024.
The first government-funded quarterly supermarket price survey by consumer group Choice has recently been released, revealing the cheapest chain to shop at in Australia. In order to gather the data, Choice sent out mystery shoppers to 81 regional and urban supermarkets across the country, including the three major chains: Woolworths, Coles, and Aldi. These shoppers were tasked with filling their baskets with 14 common grocery items and then comparing the prices at checkout.
According to the survey, Aldi came out as the clear winner in terms of value for money, with their basket costing about 25% less than those at Coles or Woolworths. "Aldi was the clear leader on value for money in our first supermarket basket survey for 2024, with our basket of 14 products costing just $51.51," said Choice CEO Ashley de Silva. "Grocery prices at Coles and Woolworths are very closely matched, with only 75 cents separating the prices of our basket of 14 items without specials. Coles was the most expensive at $69.33, while the basket at Woolworths came in at $68.58."
Interestingly, the survey also found that location played a role in grocery prices. "When we looked at the average cost of our supermarket baskets in each state, we found that people in Tasmania and the Northern Territory are paying significantly more each week for their groceries," de Silva explained. However, this is mainly due to the fact that these areas have more limited options for shopping compared to the rest of the country, with no Aldi stores in Tasmania or the NT. Outside of these two regions, Western Australians are paying the most on average for their groceries, with prices around a dollar higher for the same basket of items compared to other parts of the country.
On top of rising grocery prices, Choice also discovered that trust in supermarkets has decreased in the past 12 months. In fact, about 39% of respondents said they do not trust supermarkets to provide the best products and services for customer needs. This lack of trust is concerning, especially in the midst of a cost of living crisis. In response to this, the federal government has provided funding for Choice to continue their supermarket price research for every quarter over the next three years. "This kind of transparency is more important than ever as the cost of living crisis continues, and prices of basic grocery items climb," de Silva stated.
For this particular survey, the grocery basket at all outlets included 14 items, with 12 of them being packaged products from either national brands or comparable supermarket brands/budget options. The remaining two items were fresh fruit and vegetables. The specific items in the basket were apples, carrots, Weet-Bix, sliced white bread, flour, penne pasta, white sugar, tea bags, tinned diced tomatoes, a block of tasty cheese, full-cream dairy milk, frozen peas, beef mince, and butter. Additionally, Choice also invited people to stay updated on the latest breaking news, celebrity updates, and sports news through their WhatsApp channel, where their privacy is protected and they won't have to deal with algorithms or unwanted comments.
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