'It's outrageous!': Aussie shoppers are getting 'heart palpitations' over the prices of these everyday grocery items
By
VanessaC
- Replies 35
There was a time when a packet of chips and a soft drink made for a perfectly affordable snack.
But nowadays, you might just find yourself outraged when you see the soaring price tags at the supermarket.
Recently, an IGA customer shared a photo of a 165g pack of Sea Salt Kettle Chips being sold for $4.50 on discount—or $8.84 at full price!
'I don't even walk through the chips aisle anymore. Just looking at the price tags gives me heart palpitations,' one replied.
Other shoppers also shared their disappointment over the prices of healthier options such as vegetables.
Soon after, another shopper was equally taken aback when they chanced upon a 600ml bottle of Coca-Cola being sold for a whopping $7 at an airport store.
'Didn't buy it. (I) was just waiting in line to grab a coffee and noticed... and just about fell over. I still think it's outrageous, even for an airport,' the shopper shared.
Supermarkets have been steadily raising prices on packaged food and drinks for months as suppliers have raised costs due to commodities, energy, and labour. Though expected that these costs will be passed onto the customers, the billion-dollar profits of supermarkets remain a hard pill to swallow for those struggling to make ends meet.
You might be wondering… What's the solution?
Associate Professor at the University of Sydney Business School Andrew Grant suggested that avoiding particular items and brands is a good start for those trying to keep budgets in check as it will encourage them to look around some more.
'A part of it is that people are loyal to particular brands, and they're not so willing to switch if the price goes up,' he said.
'Unless people are willing to shop around or switch, there's no incentive for the supermarket to put the price down. So, people need to pay attention to how much these things cost and be willing to say no if the price gets too high.'
With regard to price decreases, Professor Grant advised shoppers to manage their expectations.
'I can't imagine that prices are going to come down too much, they might just stop growing as quickly as they have been of late,' he said.
In other news, as shoppers become increasingly fed-up with exorbitant supermarket prices, many are turning to their local independent grocers for better deals.
One shopper visited a local grocer and stumbled upon an amazing deal—an assortment of fruits and vegetables for only $6!
‘Couldn’t pick and choose what I bought and wasn’t able to even see everything I was buying, but I think it was worth it,’ said the shopper.
You can read more about this shopper’s $6 haul in this article.
Is there a specific grocery item or brand you’ve recently stopped purchasing due to their price increase? What were your alternatives for these items/brands? Share them with us in the comments below!
But nowadays, you might just find yourself outraged when you see the soaring price tags at the supermarket.
Recently, an IGA customer shared a photo of a 165g pack of Sea Salt Kettle Chips being sold for $4.50 on discount—or $8.84 at full price!
'I don't even walk through the chips aisle anymore. Just looking at the price tags gives me heart palpitations,' one replied.
Other shoppers also shared their disappointment over the prices of healthier options such as vegetables.
Soon after, another shopper was equally taken aback when they chanced upon a 600ml bottle of Coca-Cola being sold for a whopping $7 at an airport store.
'Didn't buy it. (I) was just waiting in line to grab a coffee and noticed... and just about fell over. I still think it's outrageous, even for an airport,' the shopper shared.
Supermarkets have been steadily raising prices on packaged food and drinks for months as suppliers have raised costs due to commodities, energy, and labour. Though expected that these costs will be passed onto the customers, the billion-dollar profits of supermarkets remain a hard pill to swallow for those struggling to make ends meet.
You might be wondering… What's the solution?
Associate Professor at the University of Sydney Business School Andrew Grant suggested that avoiding particular items and brands is a good start for those trying to keep budgets in check as it will encourage them to look around some more.
'A part of it is that people are loyal to particular brands, and they're not so willing to switch if the price goes up,' he said.
'Unless people are willing to shop around or switch, there's no incentive for the supermarket to put the price down. So, people need to pay attention to how much these things cost and be willing to say no if the price gets too high.'
With regard to price decreases, Professor Grant advised shoppers to manage their expectations.
'I can't imagine that prices are going to come down too much, they might just stop growing as quickly as they have been of late,' he said.
In other news, as shoppers become increasingly fed-up with exorbitant supermarket prices, many are turning to their local independent grocers for better deals.
One shopper visited a local grocer and stumbled upon an amazing deal—an assortment of fruits and vegetables for only $6!
‘Couldn’t pick and choose what I bought and wasn’t able to even see everything I was buying, but I think it was worth it,’ said the shopper.
You can read more about this shopper’s $6 haul in this article.
Key Takeaways
- Australians are voicing their shock and frustration over the rising prices of snacks in supermarkets across the country.
- An IGA customer shared a photo of 165g packs of Sea Salt Kettle Chips on sale for $4.50 but said the full price is $8.84.
- In the same week, a photo was shared of 600ml bottles of Coca-Cola being sold for an astonishing $7 at an airport store.
- Associate Professor at the University of Sydney Business School Andrew Grant suggests consumers need to be willing to shop around or switch brands, as high loyalty to particular brands does not encourage supermarkets to lower prices.
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