New study shows that many Australian families believe that grocery costs are unjust.

According to a recent study, almost half of households in Australia are currently spending more money on groceries compared to last year. This information, gathered by researchers at Monash Business School, also revealed that a majority of Australians feel that grocery prices are unfair and have even postponed purchasing certain products until there are sales.

Interestingly, this data comes at a time when trust in popular supermarket chains Woolworths and Coles is at an all-time low. This decline in trust has been attributed to a Senate inquiry into the issue of price gouging, which has caused concern among the public.

Lead researcher Dr. Eloise Zoppos noted that the cost of living continues to be a major concern for many Australians. She stated, "Compared to last year, a significant number of shoppers have reported an increase in spending across essential categories." In fact, over half of the participants in the study stated that they have been spending more on housing, insurance, and groceries than they were at the same time last year. This is a significant increase from the 49 per cent who reported the same spending habits in 2023.

The study also revealed that essential categories are the most commonly perceived as being unfairly priced by Australian shoppers. More than half of the participants expressed this sentiment towards housing costs, groceries and related products, as well as insurance costs.

In light of these findings, it is not surprising that a large number of shoppers have changed their spending habits. The study found that more people are now waiting for sales or deferring purchases until they are on sale compared to last year. This shift in behavior has prompted researchers to also inquire about saving habits. Dr. Zoppos shared, "It is clear that many Australians are reevaluating their usual spending patterns. That is why this year, we also asked participants about their saving habits." The results showed that approximately 82 per cent of those surveyed are actively saving at least a portion of their monthly income.

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