New government-funded research has crowned Aldi as the nation’s cheapest major supermarket, and Woolies is now off somewhere crying.
The independent research was conducted by consumer group Choice, and commissioned by the Albanese government in response to national frustrations around supermarket chains’ alleged price gouging during the cost of living crisis.
It found that a basket of Aldi groceries is typically 25 per cent cheaper than an equivalent purchase at fellow major chains Coles and Woolworths.
Dubbed the “basket of goods” report — which for me means one brimming with kewpie mayo — the research found Aldi shoppers pay an average of $51.51 for common items, while Coles and Woolies customers fork out $69.33 and $68.58, respectively. Hear that, Curtis Stone?
That means shoppers save an average of $17 when purchasing common items at Aldi instead of succumbing to the dreaded duopoly.
As a bonus, they can also dig into the treasure trove that is Aldi’s famous middle aisle and probably emerge with the keys to universe.
To conduct the report, Choice sent researchers to 81 stores across the country as “undercover shoppers,” a title I also use when shamefully purchasing my eighth energy drink before midday.
The shoppers purchased common groceries from an assigned list of staples like sliced white bread, butter, cheese, penne pasta, and Weet-Bix (kewpie not included). These 14-item, girl dinner-adjacent baskets were used for price comparison by Choice, but they differed depending on location.
Tasmania and Northern Territory were found to be paying more for their groceries than other states, while shoppers outside of capital cities typically forked out slightly less at the cash register.
Choice — which was given $1.1 million in government funding to conduct the research — will publish reports like this every quarter over the next three years, as part of a government-led push for transparency, trust, and fair pricing at major supermarkets.
“Levels of trust in the supermarkets aren’t high,” Choice’s chief executive Ashley de Silva said. “This kind of transparency is more important than ever as the cost of living crisis continues, and prices of basic grocery items climb.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese launched a Senate inquiry into the supermarket sector earlier this year, recommending stronger regulations around price gouging and anti-competitive behaviour among the big chains.
The inquiry led to one of the most glorious walk-outs ever seen when Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci stormed out of a Four Corners interview and quit days later. Thankfully, he didn’t take all the kewpie mayo with him.
Image source: Brandon Bell/Getty Images.
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