Coles draws flak for ‘sneakily’ raising milk prices
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Aussie shoppers are again on alert because of the ‘sneaky’ changes Coles have made to their own-brand milk range.
The grocery giant has increased the price of their 3L (now $4.80), 2L (now $3.30), and 1L (now $1.70) cartons and bottles of milk by 10 cents per litre, leading to an 80-cent increase in just over a year. That's a 20 per cent rise, by the way.
Unfortunately, for shoppers who regularly buy Coles' milk products, this increase in price means a decrease in their weekly spending.
The retailer's move has attracted a lot of criticism on social media, too.
Markdown Addicts Australia, a popular Facebook group for keen shoppers, is just one platform where the price rise has been met with harsh words.
'Milk's gone up again', noted one user. Another said, 'It doesn't seem like that long ago it was $3'.
And people who use a lot of milk (especially those with young kids at home) aren't too pleased either. 'For people with one-year-olds, it will be cheaper to keep them on formula than change to real milk,' said one angry commenter.
Others suggested that—if it would mean more money for the farmers—they'd be willing to pay the increased price.
'Let's hope the farmers get the extra money that we are paying,' commented one user.
When asked by news outlets, a Coles spokesperson confirmed the price rise and said that the change was not easy for the supermarket.
'We have reluctantly raised the price of Coles Own Brand milk by 10 cents a litre due to ongoing cost increases in the supply chain,' the spokesperson said.
'We don't take the decision to raise prices lightly, particularly because of the increased cost-of-living pressures faced by our customers.'
It's understandable why Coles would occasionally resort to this kind of price rise. But, as usual, the shoppers bear the brunt of such costs.
It's no wonder people are pushing for the extra 10 cents per litre to be guaranteed to go to the dairy farmers doing the hard yards.
On the other hand, Woolworths hasn't changed its milk price. This means their own-brand milk products are 10 cents cheaper per litre than Coles'.
This price hike follows recent reports of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) delaying its decision regarding Coles’ acquisition of two major milk processing facilities.
In April, the supermarket giant announced plans to purchase two milk processing plants from the dairy processor Saputo for $105 million. However, this acquisition is contingent on receiving regulatory approval from the Australian watchdog.
Initially, the ACCC was expected to deliver its decision last week, but it has been postponed due to the regulator's request for additional documents from both Coles and Saputo.
Should the watchdog approve the acquisition, Coles would achieve the distinction of becoming the first supermarket in Australia to own and operate its milk processing facilities.
Dairy farmers are concerned that this acquisition could further reduce competition and lead to lower milk prices.
Read more about this story here.
Members, do you regularly purchase Coles brand milk? If so, what is your reaction to these price hikes? Are you considering switching to other brands? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
The grocery giant has increased the price of their 3L (now $4.80), 2L (now $3.30), and 1L (now $1.70) cartons and bottles of milk by 10 cents per litre, leading to an 80-cent increase in just over a year. That's a 20 per cent rise, by the way.
Unfortunately, for shoppers who regularly buy Coles' milk products, this increase in price means a decrease in their weekly spending.
The retailer's move has attracted a lot of criticism on social media, too.
Coles has raised the price of its brand of milk products by 10 cents a litre. Credit: Facebook.
Markdown Addicts Australia, a popular Facebook group for keen shoppers, is just one platform where the price rise has been met with harsh words.
'Milk's gone up again', noted one user. Another said, 'It doesn't seem like that long ago it was $3'.
And people who use a lot of milk (especially those with young kids at home) aren't too pleased either. 'For people with one-year-olds, it will be cheaper to keep them on formula than change to real milk,' said one angry commenter.
Others suggested that—if it would mean more money for the farmers—they'd be willing to pay the increased price.
'Let's hope the farmers get the extra money that we are paying,' commented one user.
When asked by news outlets, a Coles spokesperson confirmed the price rise and said that the change was not easy for the supermarket.
'We have reluctantly raised the price of Coles Own Brand milk by 10 cents a litre due to ongoing cost increases in the supply chain,' the spokesperson said.
'We don't take the decision to raise prices lightly, particularly because of the increased cost-of-living pressures faced by our customers.'
It's understandable why Coles would occasionally resort to this kind of price rise. But, as usual, the shoppers bear the brunt of such costs.
It's no wonder people are pushing for the extra 10 cents per litre to be guaranteed to go to the dairy farmers doing the hard yards.
On the other hand, Woolworths hasn't changed its milk price. This means their own-brand milk products are 10 cents cheaper per litre than Coles'.
This price hike follows recent reports of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) delaying its decision regarding Coles’ acquisition of two major milk processing facilities.
In April, the supermarket giant announced plans to purchase two milk processing plants from the dairy processor Saputo for $105 million. However, this acquisition is contingent on receiving regulatory approval from the Australian watchdog.
Initially, the ACCC was expected to deliver its decision last week, but it has been postponed due to the regulator's request for additional documents from both Coles and Saputo.
Should the watchdog approve the acquisition, Coles would achieve the distinction of becoming the first supermarket in Australia to own and operate its milk processing facilities.
Dairy farmers are concerned that this acquisition could further reduce competition and lead to lower milk prices.
Read more about this story here.
Members, do you regularly purchase Coles brand milk? If so, what is your reaction to these price hikes? Are you considering switching to other brands? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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