- The most affordable supermarket chain is named
- Aldi: $15-$30 cheaper than other retailers
Aldi remains the most affordable supermarket chain for doing your weekly shop, beating Coles, Woolies and IGA by as much as $28.16, the second government-commissioned supermarket price report reveals.
More than 104 visits to supermarkets across the country by CHOICE mystery shoppers revealed that the same basket of groceries cost $50.79 at Aldi, $66.22 at Coles (or $69.91 without special offers), $68.70 at Woolworths (or $68.37 without special offers) and $78.95 at IGA.
Shoppers purchased the same 14-item basket at each store, which included butter, flour, white sugar, a block of savoury cheese, mince, apples, carrots and Weetbix, and featured a mix of national brands, comparable supermarket brands and budget brand options.
In the second iteration of the report, commissioned by the Albanian government, prices had fallen marginally at Aldi and Coles, but had risen at Woolworths.
The report noted that prices “varied widely” at IGA stores, which are independently owned and operated by franchisees, and shoppers found it harder to identify products on offer because of “inconsistent signage”.
“When looking at pricing with special offers, Woolworths has moved from second to third place in this wave of research,” said CHOICE chief executive Ashley de Silva.
Aldi has maintained its top spot as the most affordable supermarket chain for doing the weekly shopping
Shoppers purchased the same 14-item basket at each store (file image)
‘The Woolworths basket cost $68.37, compared to $64.93 in March. However, the Coles basket fell in price and our 14-item basket cost $66.22, compared to $68.52 in March.
Aldi’s basket sold for $50.79, up from $51.51 in March, and was once again the clear value winner.
Premier Anthony Albanese welcomed the report but acknowledged “there is more to do” and said the report would provide households with “important information”.
Mr Albanese has criticised supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths, after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said it would take legal action over allegations they misled consumers through their discount campaigns.
The consumer watchdog said the two supermarkets had inflated prices on hundreds of items by 15 percent, before applying promotional stickers with prices higher than the original costs.
Prices had fallen slightly at Aldi and Coles, but had risen at Woolworths, the report said.
On Tuesday, Mr Albanese told Coles and Woolworths to “act in an orderly manner” and said the companies would face “significant fines” if found guilty.
On Monday, the government also published a draft exposition for its Mandatory Food and Grocery System, which aims to make the system fairer for producers, farmers and customers, while subjecting supermarkets to multimillion-dollar fines for serious breaches.
The code is currently under consultation and the government intends to introduce legislation on the matter next year.