In the world we live in, many share their concerns about the rising cost of living, particularly grocery prices.

That same harsh reality is what drove one man to take a bold and creative stand against Australia’s retail giants.

A lone campaigner armed with a stencil and paint has targeted the big supermarkets in response to skyrocketing grocery prices.

A lone campaigner wearing high-visibility clothes and a face mask was seen armed with a stencil and paint in big supermarkets. Image source: Youtube/tomgjj.

The man uploaded a minute-long video to social media on Friday, which showed him dressed in high-visibility clothing and a face mask as he snuck into Coles and Woolworths stores across Sydney.

In the clip, he used a stencil to alter a Woolworths Metro sign at Bondi Junction, changing the iconic 'we are the fresh food people' slogan to read 'the price gouge people'.

The lone campaigner paints on the walls of Woolworths as part of his protest against the rising costs of groceries. Image source: Youtube/tomgjj.

He does the same thing at a Coles store in nearby Rose Bay, changing their jingle 'down, down prices are down' to 'down, down morality is down'.

He does the same on the walls of Coles as part of his protest. Image source: Youtube/tomgjj.

The man's crusade was filmed over the 1980s hit 'We're Not Going to Take It' by Twisted Sister. Since then, it has gone viral, with many praising him for taking action against rising food prices.

'When you inevitably get a fine for this, please put up a GoFundMe on Reddit, and I will donate to cover part of the cost. Thanks for doing something more people should be doing,' one said.

'Hats off to you, sir. This is the type of protesting we need. Thank you for your service,' another added.

'Legend, I said to my partner today we need to not shop at Woolies for the small stuff anymore, the prices are f***ing ridiculous,' a third said.

You can watch the lone campaigner in action below:

The Supermarket giants have come under scrutiny after reaping record profits while claiming inflation and supply chain disruptions had driven up food costs. In the year to June, Coles recorded $41.8 billion in revenue, mostly due to a 6.1 per cent jump in supermarket sales. While Woolworths said its net profit climbed 13.7 per cent to $1.72 billion as food and grocery prices increased.

A Woolworths spokesperson said they are working everyday 'to help customers spend less with us'.

'We’re acutely aware of the pressure that’s being placed on Australian families through [the] cost of living increases, whether they are our customers or our team members,' they said.

'That’s why we have more than 6,000 weekly specials, more than 3,000 products on our Low Price program, dropped the price of 450 popular products for Spring and introduced Member Pricing.'

You can read more about Woolworths’ ‘Price Dropped’ program here and their latest program, ‘Member Price here.

Coles also stated its commitment to lower the costs of hundreds of more products over the next few months.

'We know cost-of-living pressures are front-of-mind for our customers and are always looking for ways to help their dollars stretch further,' a Coles spokesperson said.

'Coles announced it will bring down the price of more than 500 products for at least three months.'

You can learn more about Coles’s ‘Great Price, Hands Down’ program here.

Key Takeaways

• A man dressed in high-visibility clothing and a face mask sneaked into Sydney's Coles and Woolworths stores to protest rising food costs with paint and a stencil.
  
• The man uploaded a video of his protest to YouTube, showing him altering supermarket signs to read 'The Price Gouge People' and 'Down, Down, Morality Down'.
  
• Both Coles and Woolworths claim to be actively working to lower the cost of their products, with Coles promising to reduce prices on more than 500 products for at least three months.
  

Members, what do you think of this man’s actions? Do you think his methods are justified or dangerous? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.

 

[Shane/#]

In the world we live in, many share their concerns about the rising cost of living, particularly grocery prices.

That same harsh reality is what drove one man to take a bold and creative stand against Australia’s retail giants.

A lone campaigner armed with a stencil and paint has targeted the big supermarkets in response to skyrocketing grocery prices.

View attachment 29023

A lone campaigner wearing high-visibility clothes and a face mask was seen armed with a stencil and paint in big supermarkets. Image source: Youtube/tomgjj.

The man uploaded a minute-long video to social media on Friday, which showed him dressed in high-visibility clothing and a face mask as he snuck into Coles and Woolworths stores across Sydney.

In the clip, he used a stencil to alter a Woolworths Metro sign at Bondi Junction, changing the iconic 'we are the fresh food people' slogan to read 'the price gouge people'.

View attachment 29024

The lone campaigner paints on the walls of Woolworths as part of his protest against the rising costs of groceries. Image source: Youtube/tomgjj.

He does the same thing at a Coles store in nearby Rose Bay, changing their jingle 'down, down prices are down' to 'down, down morality is down'.

View attachment 29025

He does the same on the walls of Coles as part of his protest. Image source: Youtube/tomgjj.

The man's crusade was filmed over the 1980s hit 'We're Not Going to Take It' by Twisted Sister. Since then, it has gone viral, with many praising him for taking action against rising food prices.

'When you inevitably get a fine for this, please put up a GoFundMe on Reddit, and I will donate to cover part of the cost. Thanks for doing something more people should be doing,' one said.

'Hats off to you, sir. This is the type of protesting we need. Thank you for your service,' another added.

'Legend, I said to my partner today we need to not shop at Woolies for the small stuff anymore, the prices are f***ing ridiculous,' a third said.

You can watch the lone campaigner in action below:

The Supermarket giants have come under scrutiny after reaping record profits while claiming inflation and supply chain disruptions had driven up food costs. In the year to June, Coles recorded $41.8 billion in revenue, mostly due to a 6.1 per cent jump in supermarket sales. While Woolworths said its net profit climbed 13.7 per cent to $1.72 billion as food and grocery prices increased.

A Woolworths spokesperson said they are working everyday 'to help customers spend less with us'.

'We’re acutely aware of the pressure that’s being placed on Australian families through [the] cost of living increases, whether they are our customers or our team members,' they said.

'That’s why we have more than 6,000 weekly specials, more than 3,000 products on our Low Price program, dropped the price of 450 popular products for Spring and introduced Member Pricing.'

You can read more about Woolworths’ ‘Price Dropped’ program here and their latest program, ‘Member Price here.

Coles also stated its commitment to lower the costs of hundreds of more products over the next few months.

'We know cost-of-living pressures are front-of-mind for our customers and are always looking for ways to help their dollars stretch further,' a Coles spokesperson said.

'Coles announced it will bring down the price of more than 500 products for at least three months.'

You can learn more about Coles’s ‘Great Price, Hands Down’ program here.

Key Takeaways

• A man dressed in high-visibility clothing and a face mask sneaked into Sydney's Coles and Woolworths stores to protest rising food costs with paint and a stencil.
• The man uploaded a video of his protest to YouTube, showing him altering supermarket signs to read 'The Price Gouge People' and 'Down, Down, Morality Down'.
• Both Coles and Woolworths claim to be actively working to lower the cost of their products, with Coles promising to reduce prices on more than 500 products for at least three months.

Members, what do you think of this man’s actions? Do you think his methods are justified or dangerous? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.

Well done champ that's gold you deserve a medal

 

[Gsr]

Vandalism like this I’m sure contributes to prices going up, certainly doesn’t help the everyday strugglers.

 

[Subduedshilo]

I think he is a bloody legend

 

[Babbie]

Price-gouging is theft. Woolworth demands I sign up as a "Member" if I am to benefit from a lesser amount of price-gouging. I would expect that entails in giving Woolworth my name, address, mobile phone number and email address. As well documented, such personal details are open to being lost to hackers and scammers even if the outfit being hacked is as security conscious as Optus or Medibank. Every time a Member uses the Member card the details of the purchase go to analytical companies which then analyses those data on behalf of Woolworth so that Woolworth can learn about what is being sold where to whom and use those data to enhance their profits and how to tailor their advertising for their greater profit.

Yet if I don't become a "Member' then I am discriminated against by having to pay $14 instead of $12 for a couple of packs of sausages; likewise now many other products. Woolworth has also tried extremely hard to remove legitimate competition and disable the family grocer, butcher etc each of which employed family members who provided a friendly service. And we have to drive to a shopping centre these days rather than walking to the local shops, which all adds to the amount of CO2 in the air which then feeds back into cooking the environment for our children and grandchildren.

I'd suggest that the vandalism is all Woolworth's.

Price-gouging is theft. Woolworth demands I sign up as a "Member" if I am to benefit from a lesser amount of price-gouging. I would expect that entails in giving Woolworth my name, address, mobile phone number and email address. As well documented, such personal details are open to being lost to hackers and scammers even if the outfit being hacked is as security conscious as Optus or Medibank. Every time a Member uses the Member card the details of the purchase go to analytical companies which then analyses those data on behalf of Woolworth so that Woolworth can learn about what is being sold where to whom and use those data to enhance their profits and how to tailor their advertising for their greater profit.

Yet if I don't become a "Member' then I am discriminated against by having to pay $14 instead of $12 for a couple of packs of sausages; likewise now many other products. Woolworth has also tried extremely hard to remove legitimate competition and disable the family grocer, butcher etc each of which employed family members who provided a friendly service. And we have to drive to a shopping centre these days rather than walking to the local shops, which all adds to the amount of CO2 in the air which then feeds back into cooking the environment for our children and grandchildren.

I'd suggest that the vandalism is all Woolworth's.

Anything else to groan and moan about. I bet people run the opposite direction when they see you coming. Shop somewhere else.

 

[Catherines]

What an idiot. Hope they catch him and fine him a lot. Lucky I wasn't there when he was vandalising their signs. He would have soon stopped.
Maybe everyone can go to his house and spray graffiti all over it?

I don't agree with anything like this. It's just childish.

The supermarkets, like any other company, are in business to make profits. They're not in business to lose money.

I fully agree with your last comment. As for the guy shown vandalising Coles & Woolworths stores - I'm surprised there isn't another video showing him being arrested for vandalism. Perhaps that video will pop up sometime soon and he will be fined heavily or jailed to teach him a lesson that it is not his property - I hope so. There are other ways to show one's displeasure.

We work in offices, shops, manufacturing etc to earn wages to pay our bills. By doing this work the companies we work for are able to sell their products. They have to pay us to do a job so they need to be able to make some money on the sales of their products - not come out even or at a loss.

Where does every complainant on this forum think the money is going to come from??? It is from coverage of costs and then profit. No one likes to have to pay for things - but that is just a fact of life. So get over it everyone who doesn't agree.

 

[Catherines]

I think he is a bloody legend

Would like to see you try the same thing - AND then be taken into custody for doing so.

 

[DiBoz]

In the world we live in, many share their concerns about the rising cost of living, particularly grocery prices.

That same harsh reality is what drove one man to take a bold and creative stand against Australia’s retail giants.

A lone campaigner armed with a stencil and paint has targeted the big supermarkets in response to skyrocketing grocery prices.

View attachment 29023

A lone campaigner wearing high-visibility clothes and a face mask was seen armed with a stencil and paint in big supermarkets. Image source: Youtube/tomgjj.

The man uploaded a minute-long video to social media on Friday, which showed him dressed in high-visibility clothing and a face mask as he snuck into Coles and Woolworths stores across Sydney.

In the clip, he used a stencil to alter a Woolworths Metro sign at Bondi Junction, changing the iconic 'we are the fresh food people' slogan to read 'the price gouge people'.

View attachment 29024

The lone campaigner paints on the walls of Woolworths as part of his protest against the rising costs of groceries. Image source: Youtube/tomgjj.

He does the same thing at a Coles store in nearby Rose Bay, changing their jingle 'down, down prices are down' to 'down, down morality is down'.

View attachment 29025

He does the same on the walls of Coles as part of his protest. Image source: Youtube/tomgjj.

The man's crusade was filmed over the 1980s hit 'We're Not Going to Take It' by Twisted Sister. Since then, it has gone viral, with many praising him for taking action against rising food prices.

'When you inevitably get a fine for this, please put up a GoFundMe on Reddit, and I will donate to cover part of the cost. Thanks for doing something more people should be doing,' one said.

'Hats off to you, sir. This is the type of protesting we need. Thank you for your service,' another added.

'Legend, I said to my partner today we need to not shop at Woolies for the small stuff anymore, the prices are f***ing ridiculous,' a third said.

You can watch the lone campaigner in action below:

The Supermarket giants have come under scrutiny after reaping record profits while claiming inflation and supply chain disruptions had driven up food costs. In the year to June, Coles recorded $41.8 billion in revenue, mostly due to a 6.1 per cent jump in supermarket sales. While Woolworths said its net profit climbed 13.7 per cent to $1.72 billion as food and grocery prices increased.

A Woolworths spokesperson said they are working everyday 'to help customers spend less with us'.

'We’re acutely aware of the pressure that’s being placed on Australian families through [the] cost of living increases, whether they are our customers or our team members,' they said.

'That’s why we have more than 6,000 weekly specials, more than 3,000 products on our Low Price program, dropped the price of 450 popular products for Spring and introduced Member Pricing.'

You can read more about Woolworths’ ‘Price Dropped’ program here and their latest program, ‘Member Price here.

Coles also stated its commitment to lower the costs of hundreds of more products over the next few months.

'We know cost-of-living pressures are front-of-mind for our customers and are always looking for ways to help their dollars stretch further,' a Coles spokesperson said.

'Coles announced it will bring down the price of more than 500 products for at least three months.'

You can learn more about Coles’s ‘Great Price, Hands Down’ program here.

Key Takeaways

• A man dressed in high-visibility clothing and a face mask sneaked into Sydney's Coles and Woolworths stores to protest rising food costs with paint and a stencil.
• The man uploaded a video of his protest to YouTube, showing him altering supermarket signs to read 'The Price Gouge People' and 'Down, Down, Morality Down'.
• Both Coles and Woolworths claim to be actively working to lower the cost of their products, with Coles promising to reduce prices on more than 500 products for at least three months.

Members, what do you think of this man’s actions? Do you think his methods are justified or dangerous? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.

 

[DiBoz]

I think greed is running the world these days and supermarkets, oil companies, pharmaceutical companies etc are at the top of the greedy list. Politicians could do something about this sorry state of affairs and the fact that they don’t does make one wonder if their snouts are not in the trough too! I love the fellow altering the signage, Bravo to him!

Vandalism is just that … we all pay for it one way or another. Increased insurance payments for one. Hope he doesn’t have children that think what he has done is “cool”

 

[Judy HB]

I appreciate his outrage but not the method used to express himself. Have the guts to stand in front of the store with a sign , breaking the law isn’t the answer.

Agreed!

 

[Judy HB]

What’s the rubbish about coles or woollies lowering prices on 500 products for 3 months. If they’re serious they need to do it store wide for a year. They’ve enjoyed the profits, give some back to their customers who a lot are struggling to make ends meet!

 

[DiBoz]

Agreed!

Totally agree with you

 

[Rob44]

Thank you for pointing out that supermarkets are not charity organisations.

If they were to reduce prices to below cost, as most comments on this page appear to suggest, they would be closing the company would be going down the gurgler in no time.

I do not have shares in Woolworths. I do however have a few shares in Coles and I do almost all of my shopping at Aldi.

What is the cost of a litre of milk at the farm gate? What is the mark-up by the time it hits a supermarket shelf.
A Kilo of beef at the farm gate when compared with $40 a kilo at Woolworth's?
How can a tin of Henz baked beans cost what it does on a Woolworths shelf when exactly the same beans in the same sized can can cost 1/4 of what Woolworth charges for the Heinz stuff.

No-one is suggesting that any shopkeeper should reduce prices below cost, including the cost of running the shop and paying staff a fair wage.

 

[Trudi]

What is the cost of a litre of milk at the farm gate? What is the mark-up by the time it hits a supermarket shelf.
A Kilo of beef at the farm gate when compared with $40 a kilo at Woolworth's?
How can a tin of Henz baked beans cost what it does on a Woolworths shelf when exactly the same beans in the same sized can can cost 1/4 of what Woolworth charges for the Heinz stuff.

No-one is suggesting that any shopkeeper should reduce prices below cost, including the cost of running the shop and paying staff a fair wage.

If you find a dairy farmer who will sell you milk at the farmgate, you would be paying about the same as you pay at the supermarket! I quite enjoy farm-fresh milk with all the cream, but of course, the milk is not pasteurised.

There is no reason why you would not be able to attend lifestock sales yard and bid for a cow, sheep or pig. Of course, it would be cheaper to buy a life animal compared to one that has been butchered and cut up, regardeless of whether you buy the meat at the butchers or in the supermarket!

About 40 years ago, my then husband and I purchased half a beef from a butcher. Obviously it was hugely discounted, however, we had to pay soneone to cut it up and then much of it stayed in our freezer forever!

You can often find fruit and vegetables at farmgates and trust me, they are no cheaper than what you pay at the supermarket. A few years ago, I drove to Young during the cherry season hoping to find a good price for a box of cherries. The asking price was exactly the same as the supermarket prices and I left in disgust without buying any.

I doubt that you have any idea of the logistics and handling of produce, regardless of whether we speak of meat, vegetables, grain or fruit.

 

[Trouper21]

What is the cost of a litre of milk at the farm gate? What is the mark-up by the time it hits a supermarket shelf.
A Kilo of beef at the farm gate when compared with $40 a kilo at Woolworth's?
How can a tin of Henz baked beans cost what it does on a Woolworths shelf when exactly the same beans in the same sized can can cost 1/4 of what Woolworth charges for the Heinz stuff.

No-one is suggesting that any shopkeeper should reduce prices below cost, including the cost of running the shop and paying staff a fair wage.

What people don't realise is that when any retailer enters into an agreement to buy products, there is a RRP placed on the goods by the supplier. Although they do not have to abide by it, they usually do so and take any loss for specials that they sell. Some retailers can get a better deal than others.

 

[Ezzy]

Definitely vandalism & something l do not condone. There is always a right & wrong way to do everything & this is not correct or lawful!

How many people does he think are going to support him in his one man guerilla tactics if he doesn't make his reasons known to the public?

Remember the old adage, 'Together we stand, divided we fall'. Muster up some support for your campaign, that is of course if you have a plan!

 

[MaccaMan]

I fully agree with your last comment. As for the guy shown vandalising Coles & Woolworths stores - I'm surprised there isn't another video showing him being arrested for vandalism. Perhaps that video will pop up sometime soon and he will be fined heavily or jailed to teach him a lesson that it is not his property - I hope so. There are other ways to show one's displeasure.

We work in offices, shops, manufacturing etc to earn wages to pay our bills. By doing this work the companies we work for are able to sell their products. They have to pay us to do a job so they need to be able to make some money on the sales of their products - not come out even or at a loss.

Where does every complainant on this forum think the money is going to come from??? It is from coverage of costs and then profit. No one likes to have to pay for things - but that is just a fact of life. So get over it everyone who doesn't agree.

Don't stress Trudi. Check the stores' bottom line - their profits have increased exponentially whilst they continue to increase prices. Join with us in pushing back!

 

[Trudi]

Don't stress Trudi. Check the stores' bottom line - their profits have increased exponentially whilst they continue to increase prices. Join with us in pushing back!

???

 

[freedy50]

I fully agree with your last comment. As for the guy shown vandalising Coles & Woolworths stores - I'm surprised there isn't another video showing him being arrested for vandalism. Perhaps that video will pop up sometime soon and he will be fined heavily or jailed to teach him a lesson that it is not his property - I hope so. There are other ways to show one's displeasure.

We work in offices, shops, manufacturing etc to earn wages to pay our bills. By doing this work the companies we work for are able to sell their products. They have to pay us to do a job so they need to be able to make some money on the sales of their products - not come out even or at a loss.

Where does every complainant on this forum think the money is going to come from??? It is from coverage of costs and then profit. No one likes to have to pay for things - but that is just a fact of life. So get over it

I fully agree with your last comment. As for the guy shown vandalising Coles & Woolworths stores - I'm surprised there isn't another video showing him being arrested for vandalism. Perhaps that video will pop up sometime soon and he will be fined heavily or jailed to teach him a lesson that it is not his property - I hope so. There are other ways to show one's displeasure.

We work in offices, shops, manufacturing etc to earn wages to pay our bills. By doing this work the companies we work for are able to sell their products. They have to pay us to do a job so they need to be able to make some money on the sales of their products - not come out even or at a loss.

Where does every complainant on this forum think the money is going to come from??? It is from coverage of costs and then profit. No one likes to have to pay for things - but that is just a fact of life. So get over it everyone who doesn't agree.

Well said. Anyone who starts a company is in the business of making money, whether it's a small company or it gets bigger.

So they've made a big profit? Shows they've done something right to stay in business. Seems people would prefer that they, and other big companies, just make enough money to cover their costs. It doesn't work like that.

Maybe some of the complaining people should start their own business and see how hard it is to run on a daily basis without going bust?

 

[Nugget]

What an idiot. Hope they catch him and fine him a lot. Lucky I wasn't there when he was vandalising their signs. He would have soon stopped.
Maybe everyone can go to his house and spray graffiti all over it?

I don't agree with anything like this. It's just childish.

The supermarkets, like any other company, are in business to make profits. They're not in business to lose money.

It seams to me they are in business to RIP people off.

 

[freedy50]

It seams to me they are in business to RIP people off.

Obviously supermarkets are an easy target for people to have a go about. What should that do? They either put up prices or could lay off staff to save money and keep prices lower?

There's plenty of local small businesses that have put up their prices. Are they different? I assume they're not ripping off anyone?