Australia’s dominant supermarket outlets, Woolworths and Coles, which control a combined 65 per cent of the country’s grocery trade, have recently reported multi-billion dollar profits. Meanwhile, some Aussies are struggling to make ends meet.

Videos posted on social media recently revealed the gap between the profits of the supermarkets and the struggles of everyday Australians. In one clip, a man was outraged when he realised that his small grocery haul cost $91.84–despite purchasing home brand or products on sale at Coles.

The haul included rice, bacon, coffee, carrots, cage-free eggs, soy milk, onions, garlic, carrots, Twiggy sticks, and dog food.

A young Aussie shared his frustration over his bill after doing a ‘tiny’ haul at Coles. Image source: TikTok/@kingkutrone.

'Can someone please explain to me why Australia has gone down the absolute toilet? Because the cost of living at the moment is a joke,' he said.

He went on to say: 'I went to Coles today, not Woolies, right, and everything purchased here is home brand or on sale.

'I'm making one meal tonight, fried rice, and we got the dog some food, OK? This came to $91,' he shared, showing the viewers the items he got.

'How does this add up to $91, bro? I mean, what a f****** joke…How is anybody with a family even living?'

He ended the video outraged, saying: 'I don't understand.'

You can watch the entire video below:

In another clip, while in her car and on a break at work, a woman started crying as she unleashed her frustration over the cost of living in Australia.

She captioned her video: 'When the grind gets real––this video is a glimpse into the struggles of a relentless work routine and the quest for something more than just the grind.'

Another young Aussie shared her frustration over having to work endlessly, only to end up spending all her hard-earned money on bills. Image source: TikTok/@nuffin_much.

She went on to say: 'I'm so sick and tired of working!'

'I'm working every day till sickness and death, only to come to the end of the week and I have nothing.'

'All my money is gone paying the bills,' she added as she started tearing up.

You can watch the entire video below:

Many could relate to the plight of these two Aussies and expressed their frustration over the two supermarket giants:

'Barely surviving paycheck to paycheck,' one said.

While another slammed the supermarkets and said: 'Billion dollar profits on necessities like food should be criminalised.'

Another agreed: 'Single mum of 3 boys working four jobs to be comfortable. I'm so tired.'

'Australia makes enough food to feed 75 MILLION people. We only have like 27 million. Why is food so expensive here?' A fifth added.

Coles’ CEO Leah Weckert explained that Australia’s high inflation is boosting their profits as people choose to cook up their own meals rather than dine out.

'Eating out, takeaway and coffees from the cafe are increasingly being seen as treats for a special occasion. Customers are still looking to have a treat and a restaurant quality meal and are increasingly looking to supermarkets to do more with their budgets,' she explained while announcing Coles’ $1.1 billion profit. You can read more about their whopping profit here.

On the other hand, Woolworths’ Chief Executive Brad Banducci, whose pay rose by $1.25 million to a total of $8.6 million, announced the chain's $1.6 billion profit. You can read more about Woolworths’ staggering $1.6 billion profit here.

Key Takeaways

• A man has exposed on social media the high cost of a small grocery haul from Coles.
• The man's grocery haul came to $91.84, despite most items being home brand or on sale, causing him to question how young people and families are expected to get ahead with such high food prices.
• The high cost of living in Australia was further highlighted by a young woman's emotional video about the financial struggles she faces due to skyrocketing prices.
• This outcry comes as supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths post-multi-billion-dollar profits.

Members, have you recently noticed the increase in grocery prices? How do you feel about the gap between the high profits of the supermarkets and the plight of everyday Australians? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

 

[ElizabethL]

What a load of crap.
More people buying from supermarkets instead of eating out and that’s the reason they are making $1billion + profit.
You think we are stupid enough to believe that’s why your huge profits.
You are making huge profits because you keep putting the prices up you greedy ………

 

[Countryjohn]

If you cannot afford to live why do you have a dog?
Profit is a polite way of saying “I am here to wreck your standard of living”.
I for one would like to know where we produce enough food for 75 million people. Where does that figure come from???

 

[JKM_Storyteller]

Okay, while I sympathize, to a degree, with the guy, we need to first take a step back. For one thing, he is not shopping for his meal that night (fried rice), and his dog's food which alone cost $17.00. Do I begrudge the dog the food? Nope. But if you have a pet, you need to be able to afford to feed it.

So take out the dog food, and his food items cost $74.84.

Now, unless he is making enough fried rice to feed his street, the two bags of rice, the three bottles of olive oil (not shown in the photo - $4.50); the 18 cage-free eggs ($6.70); the new bottles of light soy ($5.00), and dark soy ($3.60), and the sesame oil ($3.70), are all replenishing his pantry staples for future consumption as well.

Ditto his English Breakfast 50 bag pkt of tea ($2.20).

Then there is the bacon ($4.90) and the sizzle steaks ($13.00) - well, if you want to eat meat, you have to pay market price, and frankly, Coles and Woollies prices are cheaper than the local butcher's. Perhaps you can get it cheaper at Aldi's, but I'm an age pensioner, and I buy my meat at Coles because the quality's good and the price is reasonable, all things considered.

The attached photos also don't show the garlic ($0.58), and the twiggy sticks ($6.60). There are 15 items pictured (counting both bags of rice separately), but 23 items were purchased, according to the incomplete receipt. Looking at the receipt, the cost of the Sanitarium Barista Soy isn't shown ($2.00), so there appears to be an amount of $0.50 (and what item it relates to) not shown at all in the pic, because the items shown on the picture of the receipt only total $89.34.

So the picture of the shopping basket items is missing 8 items although I can only figure what 5 of them might be, going by the receipt.

In any event, after examining the receipt, and checking the items, I'm afraid I have come to the conclusion that it is a reasonable outlay for the items purchased.

So much comes down to buyer preference. For instance, if one is so concerned about the cost, why purchase the first press 10 shot coffee for $12.70 when you could get the 10 pack Nescafe cappuccino sachets for $3.80 or the Coles Organic Fairtrade Gold Freeze Dried Coffee 100g from $4.00? Noting that 1 teaspoon of freeze dried coffee weighs around 1.8 grams, that's a lot of cups of coffee for $4.00.

Jess (who used to be a forensic accountant in London, hence my fascination with 'evidence' LOL)

 

[JayEeGeeP]

If you cannot afford to live why do you have a dog?
Profit is a polite way of saying “I am here to wreck your standard of living”.
I for one would like to know where we produce enough food for 75 million people. Where does that figure come from???

Don't talk crap.

 

[Pink lion]

I tend to do all of my shopping at Aldi, however every so often I will go to Coles and pay to get brands that really are quite delicious.

It's common to pay over what I pay at my Aldi shop for less than half the items, however I consider it a treat.

The specials freezer is often a laugh 33% off, and still not as inexpensive at Aldi...

 

[JayEeGeeP]

They have to cater to their greedy shareholders and the percentage they add on for the points just make the cost of groceries that much more expensive. At least Aldi don't have the points system.

 

[Effie1952]

Australia’s dominant supermarket outlets, Woolworths and Coles, which control a combined 65 per cent of the country’s grocery trade, have recently reported multi-billion dollar profits. Meanwhile, some Aussies are struggling to make ends meet.

Videos posted on social media recently revealed the gap between the profits of the supermarkets and the struggles of everyday Australians. In one clip, a man was outraged when he realised that his small grocery haul cost $91.84–despite purchasing home brand or products on sale at Coles.

The haul included rice, bacon, coffee, carrots, cage-free eggs, soy milk, onions, garlic, carrots, Twiggy sticks, and dog food.

View attachment 28264

A young Aussie shared his frustration over his bill after doing a ‘tiny’ haul at Coles. Image source: TikTok/@kingkutrone.

'Can someone please explain to me why Australia has gone down the absolute toilet? Because the cost of living at the moment is a joke,' he said.

He went on to say: 'I went to Coles today, not Woolies, right, and everything purchased here is home brand or on sale.

'I'm making one meal tonight, fried rice, and we got the dog some food, OK? This came to $91,' he shared, showing the viewers the items he got.

'How does this add up to $91, bro? I mean, what a f****** joke…How is anybody with a family even living?'

He ended the video outraged, saying: 'I don't understand.'

You can watch the entire video below:

In another clip, while in her car and on a break at work, a woman started crying as she unleashed her frustration over the cost of living in Australia.

She captioned her video: 'When the grind gets real––this video is a glimpse into the struggles of a relentless work routine and the quest for something more than just the grind.'

View attachment 28263

Another young Aussie shared her frustration over having to work endlessly, only to end up spending all her hard-earned money on bills. Image source: TikTok/@nuffin_much.

She went on to say: 'I'm so sick and tired of working!'

'I'm working every day till sickness and death, only to come to the end of the week and I have nothing.'

'All my money is gone paying the bills,' she added as she started tearing up.

You can watch the entire video below:

Many could relate to the plight of these two Aussies and expressed their frustration over the two supermarket giants:

'Barely surviving paycheck to paycheck,' one said.

While another slammed the supermarkets and said: 'Billion dollar profits on necessities like food should be criminalised.'

Another agreed: 'Single mum of 3 boys working four jobs to be comfortable. I'm so tired.'

'Australia makes enough food to feed 75 MILLION people. We only have like 27 million. Why is food so expensive here?' A fifth added.

Coles’ CEO Leah Weckert explained that Australia’s high inflation is boosting their profits as people choose to cook up their own meals rather than dine out.

'Eating out, takeaway and coffees from the cafe are increasingly being seen as treats for a special occasion. Customers are still looking to have a treat and a restaurant quality meal and are increasingly looking to supermarkets to do more with their budgets,' she explained while announcing Coles’ $1.1 billion profit. You can read more about their whopping profit here.

On the other hand, Woolworths’ Chief Executive Brad Banducci, whose pay rose by $1.25 million to a total of $8.6 million, announced the chain's $1.6 billion profit. You can read more about Woolworths’ staggering $1.6 billion profit here.

Key Takeaways

• A man has exposed on social media the high cost of a small grocery haul from Coles.
• The man's grocery haul came to $91.84, despite most items being home brand or on sale, causing him to question how young people and families are expected to get ahead with such high food prices.
• The high cost of living in Australia was further highlighted by a young woman's emotional video about the financial struggles she faces due to skyrocketing prices.
• This outcry comes as supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths post-multi-billion-dollar profits.

Members, have you recently noticed the increase in grocery prices? How do you feel about the gap between the high profits of the supermarkets and the plight of everyday Australians? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Australia is fast becoming a country where the divide between the wealthy who can afford everything and the "poor", who can barely afford bills and groceries, is getting bigger and bigger every day. No wonder Australia has such a huge number of people suffering mental distress. Shame on the people who have pushed Australians to the edge of the cliff of despair.

 

[Glenys R]

Have seen some comments regarding keeping a dog. Please do not take dog to refuge to save money. Refuges are full and struggling - same as you - my dogs have all gone over rainbow bridge and have dog food going begging at home which I would be happy to give to someone in difficulty, also shampoo etc. Animals are suffering due to present situation - just remember your dog or cat is part of the family and loves you!!!!!

 

[Liz49]

Australia’s dominant supermarket outlets, Woolworths and Coles, which control a combined 65 per cent of the country’s grocery trade, have recently reported multi-billion dollar profits. Meanwhile, some Aussies are struggling to make ends meet.

Videos posted on social media recently revealed the gap between the profits of the supermarkets and the struggles of everyday Australians. In one clip, a man was outraged when he realised that his small grocery haul cost $91.84–despite purchasing home brand or products on sale at Coles.

The haul included rice, bacon, coffee, carrots, cage-free eggs, soy milk, onions, garlic, carrots, Twiggy sticks, and dog food.

View attachment 28264

A young Aussie shared his frustration over his bill after doing a ‘tiny’ haul at Coles. Image source: TikTok/@kingkutrone.

'Can someone please explain to me why Australia has gone down the absolute toilet? Because the cost of living at the moment is a joke,' he said.

He went on to say: 'I went to Coles today, not Woolies, right, and everything purchased here is home brand or on sale.

'I'm making one meal tonight, fried rice, and we got the dog some food, OK? This came to $91,' he shared, showing the viewers the items he got.

'How does this add up to $91, bro? I mean, what a f****** joke…How is anybody with a family even living?'

He ended the video outraged, saying: 'I don't understand.'

You can watch the entire video below:

In another clip, while in her car and on a break at work, a woman started crying as she unleashed her frustration over the cost of living in Australia.

She captioned her video: 'When the grind gets real––this video is a glimpse into the struggles of a relentless work routine and the quest for something more than just the grind.'

View attachment 28263

Another young Aussie shared her frustration over having to work endlessly, only to end up spending all her hard-earned money on bills. Image source: TikTok/@nuffin_much.

She went on to say: 'I'm so sick and tired of working!'

'I'm working every day till sickness and death, only to come to the end of the week and I have nothing.'

'All my money is gone paying the bills,' she added as she started tearing up.

You can watch the entire video below:

Many could relate to the plight of these two Aussies and expressed their frustration over the two supermarket giants:

'Barely surviving paycheck to paycheck,' one said.

While another slammed the supermarkets and said: 'Billion dollar profits on necessities like food should be criminalised.'

Another agreed: 'Single mum of 3 boys working four jobs to be comfortable. I'm so tired.'

'Australia makes enough food to feed 75 MILLION people. We only have like 27 million. Why is food so expensive here?' A fifth added.

Coles’ CEO Leah Weckert explained that Australia’s high inflation is boosting their profits as people choose to cook up their own meals rather than dine out.

'Eating out, takeaway and coffees from the cafe are increasingly being seen as treats for a special occasion. Customers are still looking to have a treat and a restaurant quality meal and are increasingly looking to supermarkets to do more with their budgets,' she explained while announcing Coles’ $1.1 billion profit. You can read more about their whopping profit here.

On the other hand, Woolworths’ Chief Executive Brad Banducci, whose pay rose by $1.25 million to a total of $8.6 million, announced the chain's $1.6 billion profit. You can read more about Woolworths’ staggering $1.6 billion profit here.

Key Takeaways

• A man has exposed on social media the high cost of a small grocery haul from Coles.
• The man's grocery haul came to $91.84, despite most items being home brand or on sale, causing him to question how young people and families are expected to get ahead with such high food prices.
• The high cost of living in Australia was further highlighted by a young woman's emotional video about the financial struggles she faces due to skyrocketing prices.
• This outcry comes as supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths post-multi-billion-dollar profits.

Members, have you recently noticed the increase in grocery prices? How do you feel about the gap between the high profits of the supermarkets and the plight of everyday Australians? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Yes my bill has gone through the roof. I buy mostly meat, very little veg and only a small amount of other stuff. I now buy laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent and other cleaners at the cheap end of the market and find they last and work. With regard to the guy who paid $91 at Coles. Two things. Coles tends to be more expensive than Woolworths. Also some of the stuff he bought would last awhile. The dog food is not one meal. The condiments would last as well. Break it down to meals and you might find it's a lot less. Instead of buying a pack of meat, buy offcuts. Slow cook them, take the meat off the bone and use it for stir frying, stews and curries. I buy tinned tomatoes, gluten free soy sauce, tomato and bbq sauces and a fair bit of dairy and what most would call a lot of eggs. You can do cream sauces with cream cheese and cream. People say oh that is expensive but it's more expensive if you buy the box of cereal instead of eggs as the cereal has next to no nutrition. Using up left over milk making your own yogurt is one way to save. Even if you buy the good quality yogurt in the supermarket as a starter it still works out better as it's got no nasties in it and you use up the left over milk. Even milk a day or so over use by will work. Most people would actually be horrified at my grocery bill but it's all real food and only what I really use

 

[Liz49]

Have seen some comments regarding keeping a dog. Please do not take dog to refuge to save money. Refuges are full and struggling - same as you - my dogs have all gone over rainbow bridge and have dog food going begging at home which I would be happy to give to someone in difficulty, also shampoo etc. Animals are suffering due to present situation - just remember your dog or cat is part of the family and loves you!!!!!

Yes you can actually feed a dog on one meal a day with mince meat. You can usually get it cheap from the butcher. Also they will sell bags of bones. Too many people feed their dogs and cats too much food and not the right food.

 

[Liz49]

Australia is fast becoming a country where the divide between the wealthy who can afford everything and the "poor", who can barely afford bills and groceries, is getting bigger and bigger every day. No wonder Australia has such a huge number of people suffering mental distress. Shame on the people who have pushed Australians to the edge of the cliff of despair.

yes it is sad and not sure what we can do about it but I still believe from what I have learned in the last 10 years that it has all been done for profit. My one issue is my hubby drinks diet soft drink. Costs too much but he won't give it up. I very rarely buy cakes or biscuits, preferring to make my own from real ingredients. Also no cereal or packaged chips or other cheap stuff that has no nutrition and adds up quickly. We have been taught that eating crap is okay but then we get sick and the real costs come in

 

[Liz49]

They have to cater to their greedy shareholders and the percentage they add on for the points just make the cost of groceries that much more expensive. At least Aldi don't have the points system.

I agree with the shareholder greed and also the high end management get too much. I use the points from Woolworths for Christmas. This year I will have in excess of $200 to spend. That is a big shop for me even buying just meat, eggs and dairy and the usual household stuff like cleaners and toilet paper. I also pay the extra $5 a month (just did it to see if it works) to get the 10% off at Woolworths and Big W. Mostly I end up with a $20 saving. I pick and choose what I buy at each and use the discount for the biggest buys each month. Also still get normal points on those buys. The prices in Woolworths are pretty comparable to the others and usually cheaper than Coles and their Flybys is junk compared to Everyday Rewards. Never been a fan of Aldi.

 

[Ronloby]

If the BIG CEOs accepted a reasonable wage instead of their billion-dollar wages then maybe they could reduce the cost of everyday food items. No one is worth that sort of wage regardless of who you are. I bet they are not scratching to find money to buy their everyday food to feed their family. Ther wages are a BIG JOKE!

 

[maggiej]

I agree with most of what people are saying. The wages these companies are paying are obscene and those receiving them are just so greedy.

 

[Trudi]

They have to cater to their greedy shareholders and the percentage they add on for the points just make the cost of groceries that much more expensive. At least Aldi don't have the points system.

I am a Coles shareholder and I bet so are other members.

 

[Joedgo]

I am a Woolies shareholder. Work part time & on an age pension. Definately not greedy

 

[Loubeauxarts]

First thing that came to mind was, "...and the Oscar goes to..."
The way people carry on to get likes on their posts and bolster their 15 minutes of fame, smh.
Oh and the Woollies CEO getting an $8.6 million salary, don't get me started on that one

 

[Phantom55]

you must realise, Australians are among the highest paid employees on earth,( check it out) what can we expect? its not greedy companies (the customers pay the wages) that's why you cant fix things, the labour content is insane, it wont be long before the average house will cost a million bucks ,its nearly there now....

 

[Inot54]

Australia’s dominant supermarket outlets, Woolworths and Coles, which control a combined 65 per cent of the country’s grocery trade, have recently reported multi-billion dollar profits. Meanwhile, some Aussies are struggling to make ends meet.

Videos posted on social media recently revealed the gap between the profits of the supermarkets and the struggles of everyday Australians. In one clip, a man was outraged when he realised that his small grocery haul cost $91.84–despite purchasing home brand or products on sale at Coles.

The haul included rice, bacon, coffee, carrots, cage-free eggs, soy milk, onions, garlic, carrots, Twiggy sticks, and dog food.

View attachment 28264

A young Aussie shared his frustration over his bill after doing a ‘tiny’ haul at Coles. Image source: TikTok/@kingkutrone.

'Can someone please explain to me why Australia has gone down the absolute toilet? Because the cost of living at the moment is a joke,' he said.

He went on to say: 'I went to Coles today, not Woolies, right, and everything purchased here is home brand or on sale.

'I'm making one meal tonight, fried rice, and we got the dog some food, OK? This came to $91,' he shared, showing the viewers the items he got.

'How does this add up to $91, bro? I mean, what a f****** joke…How is anybody with a family even living?'

He ended the video outraged, saying: 'I don't understand.'

You can watch the entire video below:

In another clip, while in her car and on a break at work, a woman started crying as she unleashed her frustration over the cost of living in Australia.

She captioned her video: 'When the grind gets real––this video is a glimpse into the struggles of a relentless work routine and the quest for something more than just the grind.'

View attachment 28263

Another young Aussie shared her frustration over having to work endlessly, only to end up spending all her hard-earned money on bills. Image source: TikTok/@nuffin_much.

She went on to say: 'I'm so sick and tired of working!'

'I'm working every day till sickness and death, only to come to the end of the week and I have nothing.'

'All my money is gone paying the bills,' she added as she started tearing up.

You can watch the entire video below:

Many could relate to the plight of these two Aussies and expressed their frustration over the two supermarket giants:

'Barely surviving paycheck to paycheck,' one said.

While another slammed the supermarkets and said: 'Billion dollar profits on necessities like food should be criminalised.'

Another agreed: 'Single mum of 3 boys working four jobs to be comfortable. I'm so tired.'

'Australia makes enough food to feed 75 MILLION people. We only have like 27 million. Why is food so expensive here?' A fifth added.

Coles’ CEO Leah Weckert explained that Australia’s high inflation is boosting their profits as people choose to cook up their own meals rather than dine out.

'Eating out, takeaway and coffees from the cafe are increasingly being seen as treats for a special occasion. Customers are still looking to have a treat and a restaurant quality meal and are increasingly looking to supermarkets to do more with their budgets,' she explained while announcing Coles’ $1.1 billion profit. You can read more about their whopping profit here.

On the other hand, Woolworths’ Chief Executive Brad Banducci, whose pay rose by $1.25 million to a total of $8.6 million, announced the chain's $1.6 billion profit. You can read more about Woolworths’ staggering $1.6 billion profit here.

Key Takeaways

• A man has exposed on social media the high cost of a small grocery haul from Coles.
• The man's grocery haul came to $91.84, despite most items being home brand or on sale, causing him to question how young people and families are expected to get ahead with such high food prices.
• The high cost of living in Australia was further highlighted by a young woman's emotional video about the financial struggles she faces due to skyrocketing prices.
• This outcry comes as supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths post-multi-billion-dollar profits.

Members, have you recently noticed the increase in grocery prices? How do you feel about the gap between the high profits of the supermarkets and the plight of everyday Australians? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments

Well I’ve discovered the best way to save money on shopping is to go through Gov Health Dept to get dentures for the first time. Becoming a toothless wonder for the last 15 months has done wonders for my shopping budget- no steak, chips, biscuits etc,etc, because you can’t chew anything the least bit hard and this includes the crusts on sandwiches, so no curly hair for me either. BUT when those teeth finally get done, believe me, every crispy, yummy thing I can buy I will. Not to mention a few t-bones thrown in as well. Budget will be blown!
As for the bosses of the supermarkets and the wages paid to them - I’ve never met a single person (rich or poor) who when told the wage that goes with the job says “no thanks, that’s way too much! You have to pay me less!” If you’re being totally honest, would you?