Another supermarket item just got more expensive, and shoppers are NOT happy!

As the cost of living is continuously on the rise, it’s not just food staples that have seen a dramatic increase in price.

One Perth shopper noticed a huge 22 per cent 'overnight' price increase on a product, and understandably, they are furious.


Woolworths shopper Catherine, who suffers from a condition, requires chewing gum as part of her weekly shop and has been buying the strawberry-flavoured multipack for years.


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One shopper has been buying the same gum for years and was outraged when she saw the ‘dramatic’ price increase. Image source: Freepik.


She was outraged when she noticed the $5.50 price tag on the Wrigley’s Extra gum, up from its former price of $4.50.

'I regularly buy sugar-free gum due to a dry mouth condition, as recommended by both my dentist and rheumatologist, and it forms part of my weekly shop... it's a necessity,' she said.

'It's at the end of the aisle, and I went to reach out for it, and straightaway it [the price] jumped out at me.'

'Twenty-two per cent literally overnight is unacceptable.'


Competitors such as Coles, BIG W, and Kmart still had the product priced at $4.50. However, the price at Woolworths has since increased to an even steeper $5.50.


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Wrigley’s Strawberry Sugar-Free Chewing Gum Multipack has reportedly increased from its former price of $4.50 to $5.50. Image source: Woolworths.


'They don't realise how much work goes into doing your shopping list and [making] your shopping list work with your finances... It's an insult thinking we're so ignorant and excited about their discounts that we're not going to notice it putting everything else up,' Catherine said.

'I mean, it's just a slap in the face,' she added.

Shoppers have been battered by significant price increases at both Woolworths and Coles this year, with everything from the beloved Country Style Roast Chickens to food basics like milk and olive oil taking a hit.

And just recently, a Sydney man’s disapproval of the price hikes made headlines when he defaced Woolworths and Coles logos with the words ‘The price gouge people’. You can read more about this story in this article we wrote.


A spokesperson for Wrigley’s Gum said a range of external factors had created 'unprecedented cost pressures' which had led to the price increase.

'It has been necessary to adjust pricing to ensure we can continue to manufacture and supply our products,' the spokesperson said.

'As always, retailers maintain the ability to set the final sale price of our products, and this is the reason some prices may vary from store to store.'

Consumer Expert Gary Mortimer also believes that the increase in price is likely due to a new contract for product supply rather than the supermarkets simply following one another’s lead.

'I think it's more the case that Wrigley's, or the brand behind them, their supply contract of product came up for renewal [at the supermarkets],' Mortimer said.

'When that old product had been moved from the warehouse, to store any new product being received would be at the higher cost price.'
Key Takeaways
  • A Woolworths shopper has criticised the supermarket for a 22 per cent price increase on Wrigley's Extra gum.
  • The customer said she was infuriated when she saw the strawberry-flavoured multipack she regularly buys had increased from $4.50 to $5.50 overnight.
  • The price hike follows significant price increases across a range of everyday items at both Woolworths and Coles.
  • A spokesperson for Wrigley's Gum explained that external factors have led to 'unprecedented cost pressures,' resulting in necessary price adjustments.
Have you also noticed a price increase on your favourite products? Share them with us in the comments below!
 
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I'm so happy that they put the price of chewing gum up ,I think it should be banned.
Nothing worse than having someone come up to you smacking their lips with their mouth open watching the chewing gum roll around in their gobs Absolutely disgusting. Plenty of other products out there for dry mouth syndrome.
I totally agree, a disgusting habit.
 
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I'm so happy that they put the price of chewing gum up ,I think it should be banned.
Nothing worse than having someone come up to you smacking their lips with their mouth open watching the chewing gum roll around in their gobs Absolutely disgusting. Plenty of other products out there for dry mouth syndrome.
Do you drink coffee? Well there's nothing worse than stinking stale coffee breath.

Except for a rotting cadaver...
 
If your going to run around to all these other Supermarkets, you will be using more petrol is it worth it.
Although I have to do a long drive to do my shop at least when I get there I have Coles, Woolworths,Aldi and Spud Shed all within walking distance of each other.
Only go to Woolworths for 50 % off items though.
 
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Do you drink coffee? Well there's nothing worse than stinking stale coffee breath.

Except for a rotting cadaver...
I'm not so worried about the smell of chewing gum, just the way some people chew it, look like a cow chewing it's cud. Especially if they have the bad manners of chewing the damn stuff while talking to you
Agree with you about the coffee smell though
 
Although I have to do a long drive to do my shop at least when I get there I have Coles, Woolworths,Aldi and Spud Shed all within walking distance of each other.
Only go to Woolworths for 50 % off items though.
I have two Coles, two Woolies and an Aldi (used to be two) within 1.5 km of where I live. Only takes a eight minute steady walk to the nearest Woolies! No car...no licence...no worries. Except the weather....
 
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I'm so happy that they put the price of chewing gum up ,I think it should be banned.
Nothing worse than having someone come up to you smacking their lips with their mouth open watching the chewing gum roll around in their gobs Absolutely disgusting. Plenty of other products out there for dry mouth syndrome.
Yes thee are other products for dry mouth BUT they are damned expensive - my husband uses Oral7 which is hard to get and not cheap.
 
Everyone that has the time to shop at all the various supermarkets should download the WiseList app, it tells you the best price for any product and which store is the best price option. This constant commentary of 'price gouging' is just tiresome, DON'T BUY FROM THEM instead of rambling on here about it.
 
I'm not so worried about the smell of chewing gum, just the way some people chew it, look like a cow chewing it's cud. Especially if they have the bad manners of chewing the damn stuff while talking to you
Agree with you about the coffee smell though
Yeah, it can smell quite pleasant at times but you get people chewing all types of food mouth breathing style. It looks like a front loader washing machine on the spin cycle.
 
You people who live in cities have a choice of supermarkets to buy from shop around for the best price. All very close to were you live.

I live in a small country town in Victoria 2 supermarkets (1 large & 1 small ) prices are very much higher than the major supermarkets we have 2 choices shop locally or travel 60+ km to the major supermarket which when you add the cost of fuel ($2.01 per litre unleaded)] unless you are doing a large shop it not worth the exercise.
 
Most of them are still a little cheaper, though I agree not as much as previously.
Don't understand why people go to Woolworths, they are the dearest.
They still go there, and then complain. Go figure!!!
It’s the only supermarket we have other than driving over 20klm
 
You people who live in cities have a choice of supermarkets to buy from shop around for the best price. All very close to were you live.

I live in a small country town in Victoria 2 supermarkets (1 large & 1 small ) prices are very much higher than the major supermarkets we have 2 choices shop locally or travel 60+ km to the major supermarket which when you add the cost of fuel ($2.01 per litre unleaded)] unless you are doing a large shop it not worth the exercise.
I have to travel about 130kms, so I go fortnightly usually and do a good sized shop
I'm lucky in the fact that I live in WA and we get a country fuel card, worth$575. My daughter lives with me as she has a disability so we get two cards $1150 of petrol goes a long way
I know what you mean about local prices, we have a well stocked local shop, but way too expensive.
 
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I have to travel about 130kms, so I go fortnightly usually and do a good sized shop
I'm lucky in the fact that I live in WA and we get a country fuel card, worth$575. My daughter lives with me as she has a disability so we get two cards $1150 of petrol goes a long way
I know what you mean about local prices, we have a well stocked local shop, but way too expensive.
 
Has anyone noticed that the effectiveness of some flysprays has dropped. In the past and with some cans one direct spray is sufficient to knock down and kill a blowie. Over the last year or two I have noticed that the sprayed blowies are resurrecting (not inferring anything religious here). Are the contents of cans with flyspray ever tested for the exact ingredients that are claimed? We have to take their word for it but I am convinced that there is some dilution or substitution going on. Is there an avenue for checking?
Probably the formula has been diluted, hust in case you try and spray yourself. If a few silly people get ill from a product everyone ends up paying.
 
I am so sick and tired of the complaining about supermarket prices. Are your lives so empty that you need to talk endlessly about one subject. I’ve said so many times on this forum, research old cook books and depression era recipes. Grow your own salad/ vegetables etc. Make food from scratch not from pre- packaged items. When I was a young mother with two children a husband who was a serving member of the armed forces and whose wage was very low and our rented quarters cost more than public housing rents I had to manage. We were rarely stationed near a town where I could work and often there were only buses two days a week or maybe if we were lucky every two hours. Thanks to Womens Weekly UK I learned to make toys and dolls clothes, cook good quality meals and to generally make do and mend which was a common thing for all of us who grew up after the Second World War. I still make my own jams, marmalades, lemon curd, pickles, relishes, mustards, syrups and cordials. We had very few of the modern gadgets such as washing machines, even fridges, or electric mixers and we used washing lines to dry our clothes. Our children wore fabric nappies which were boiled and we made a lot of the clothing for our children both sewing and knitting. We didn’t have money for cars and holidays were spent at home except for rare occasions. So you will understand why I find this whining and whinging about food prices ridiculous. Yes we are all under stress and it’s tough but get proactive and start changing your attitudes. You have so much to be grateful for. Australians have a wonderful country with an amazing lifestyle. Be grateful.
 
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Yes. Everything's gone up. Next!!!!🙄

How many more articles like this can be rehashed to wind people up? 🤔 It's very boring now.
 
If your going to run around to all these other Supermarkets, you will be using more petrol is it worth it.
All three of these so called giants are in the same shopping complex so we are fortunate not to have to drive far at all . We get most of our shopping in Aldi and some that can"t we get at either of the other two.
 
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I have been watching prices closely at all the major supermarkets. The price gouging is so greedy.
2 minute noodle packs went from $1 to $5 2lt coles icecream went from $2.65 to $4.50. These are huge jumps in price. That is what we see now. It used to be price rises of a few cents, usually under 10 cents. Not any more, and they cannot keep blaming the war for it. They post huge profits so why can't they lower the prices. Aldi is the cheapest on most things, then Coles. Woolies is the dearest.
 
I have noticed that Aldi has put the price of salmon up from $13.99 to now $17.99
Someone is making a very lot of money at our expense!!!!
That truely is ludicrous. Someone is making a nice profit - even if it is back to the growing of the fish themselves.
 
I noticed an increase in the price of a Sourdough Mini Loaf Dark rye increased fro $2.50 to $3.20 overnight. So sneakily done. There is no weight indication so difficult to say whether paying more for same weight or weght has gone upor down.
 
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I'm so happy that they put the price of chewing gum up ,I think it should be banned.
Nothing worse than having someone come up to you smacking their lips with their mouth open watching the chewing gum roll around in their gobs Absolutely disgusting. Plenty of other products out there for dry mouth syndrome.
like what please?
 

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