Is It Time to Ditch Coles and Woolworths?
- Replies 19
Earlier in March, Scott Morrison warned Aussie shoppers to expect food and petrol prices to rise, following the soaring global inflation pressure from Russia’s war with Ukraine.
“Food and grain prices are rising, which will pose challenges to lower-income economies, including many in our own region,” said the Prime Minister.
“Commodity price rises will be the most obvious transmission channel to Australia. Petrol prices in Australia have risen, like they are elsewhere.”
And with the recent floods in New South Wales and Queensland, there is a ton of pressure that was put on fresh produce suppliers. That is why major supermarkets in Australia have been steadily raising the prices of everyday items, including fresh produce, just to cover their losses from the shortages.
Now that petrol and grocery costs are all going up, more and more Aussies are worrying about making their dollars go further.
So here is a simple tip that can help ease the load when it comes to grocery shopping!
Common grocery items look set to get more expensive this year. Credit: Unsplash/Michael Burrows.
According to John Chedid, the owner of the popular family-run grocer Mayfair Fresh in Petersham, shopping locally at an independent store instead of a major supermarket is one way Aussie shoppers can save on produce prices.
Recently, shoppers have cried out that a single piece of iceberg lettuce at Coles and Woolies costs $5.50, which is a bit too much already for the regular customer. Mr Chedid reminds fellow Aussies that the prices at independent grocers are much cheaper.
Mr Chedid’s iceberg lettuce is said to be 50 cents cheaper than Coles’. Even though the Sydney businessman is struggling to get stock, he wants to keep the prices as low as he can to help his beloved locals, amidst the ongoing price hikes.
He said he was even forced to sell some stock at the price he purchased it for just to make sure the local grocers thrive and don’t lose patrons.
“When you treat people like you want to be treated, you can’t go wrong in life. I’ve been receiving emails [from suppliers] with ridiculous prices but I don’t want to kill my customers,” said Mr Chedid.
One shopper was over the moon to score this crate of veggies for under $40. Credit: Reddit.
One NZ shopper shared that they were able to buy a whole crate of fresh produce for under $40, and as you can see from the picture above, it sounds like a huge bargain already.
“[This is a] genuine gold tier idea,” commented one user, and we couldn’t agree more!
What are your thoughts, members?
Is it time to ditch major supermarkets like Coles and Woolworths and head over to our local independent grocers?