Woolies shoppers stunned by outrageous chicken prices

There’s nothing quite like the humble Woolworths roast chook. Whether you’re feeding the grandkids, whipping up a quick salad, or just can’t be bothered cooking after a long day, that golden, juicy chicken is a staple in many Aussie homes.

Usually, you can pick one up for around $12, give or take a dollar or two if you’re lucky enough to snag one on special.

But what if you rocked up to your local Woolies and saw a price tag that made you do a double-take…or even a triple-take?


That’s exactly what happened to one shopper in Mandurah, Western Australia, who was left gobsmacked after spotting a Woolworths roast chicken with a price tag of $275.

Yes, you read that right—$275 for a single chook! The shopper couldn’t resist sharing the hilarious find on Facebook, and the post quickly had fellow Aussies in stitches.


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A Woolworths shopper in Mandurah, WA, spotted a roast chicken priced at $275, sparking laughs and online jokes about ‘high-end poultry’. Credit: Facebook


'Woolies, mate… $275 for a roast chook?! Have you lost the actual b***** plot?' the shopper wrote, clearly in disbelief.

'I’m not paying nearly three hundred bucks for something that usually sits next to the reduced banana bread and smells like disappointment at 5:55 pm. Is this a chicken…or a down payment on a Hilux?'

The jokes didn’t stop there. The post was soon flooded with witty comments from other shoppers, with one person quipping, 'I picked one up the other day for $245, but $275 is a bit excessive.'


Another chimed in, 'That’s just the deposit…' while a third declared, 'That is most definitely HIGH END poultry!'

Someone else even suggested, 'It’s a Labubu chicken. Limited edition.'

It seems this wasn’t an isolated incident, either. Other eagle-eyed shoppers pointed out that similar pricing blunders had happened in different locations, with one person saying, 'It happened at Singleton WA the other day too!' and another adding, 'Happened in Carnarvon too, b***** useless computers.'

So, what’s going on here? Is Woolies secretly selling gold-plated chickens, or is this just a classic case of a pricing error?

According to Woolworths, it’s definitely the latter. The supermarket giant confirmed that the incorrect label was quickly picked up and replaced, and reassured customers that no one was actually expected to fork out hundreds of dollars for their dinner.

But this little saga does serve as a timely reminder for all of us: always check your receipts!


As one commenter wisely pointed out, 'That’s why you always get a receipt. I paid not that much, but it was $25.' It’s easy to get caught up in the rush of the weekly shop, but a quick glance at your docket could save you from accidentally paying a small fortune for your groceries.

Why do these pricing errors happen? Well, supermarkets rely on computer systems to generate and print price labels, and sometimes a glitch or a simple human error can result in a wildly incorrect price being displayed.

While these mistakes are usually caught quickly, it’s always worth keeping an eye out, especially if you’re shopping for high-turnover items like roast chickens, which are constantly being restocked and relabelled throughout the day.

If you ever spot a price that seems off, don’t hesitate to flag it with the staff. Most supermarkets, including Woolies, have policies in place to ensure customers aren’t overcharged.

In fact, under the Scanning Code of Practice, if an item scans at a higher price than advertised, you may be entitled to receive it for free (for the first item) or at the lower price (for additional items). It pays to be vigilant!

And let’s be honest, who among us hasn’t had a little chuckle at a supermarket slip-up? Whether it’s a $100 watermelon, a $50 loaf of bread, or a $275 roast chook, these moments remind us that even the big retailers aren’t immune to the occasional blunder.
Key Takeaways

  • A Woolworths shopper in Mandurah, WA, spotted a roast chicken labelled at an outrageous $275, sparking laughs and jokes online about 'high-end poultry'.
  • The post quickly went viral, with commenters joining in on the jokes and sharing similar experiences of pricing blunders on Woolies roast chooks.
  • Woolworths confirmed the pricing mistake was due to an incorrect label, which was promptly replaced, and reminded customers to always check their receipts.
  • Some shoppers reported encountering similar errors at other stores, underlining the importance of keeping an eye on checkout prices to avoid paying too much.
Have you ever spotted a pricing error at your local supermarket? Did you get a laugh out of it, or did it cost you more than you bargained for? Share your stories in the comments below.
 
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I'm with you. At a nearby supermarket I can sometimes buy a pack of two small chickens for around $12.00.
I'm with you.
I changed to cooking my own ages ago, and, the Macro range is usually well priced. The fresh chickens vary so much in price, it's always a good idea to look at the whole range. Sometimes their specials are worthy of stocking up.
 
A tip, don't buy roast chicken that is on special, it's not worth saving a few dollars because the on special chicken tends to be dry and tough. Ring the store, and ask when is their chicken roasted and put for sale. That way, you can come into coles at the right time, just when the chickens have been roasted, and be sure you will purchase a fresh hot juicy roasted chicken. 🙏🦋
 
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I always get my docket & check it before leaving. A few years ago I had my freezer well stocked with frozen chips as the shelf price was lower than the scanned price. I would go back, point out the error which was then checked by staff & got my refund. This went on for weeks. Every time I went in to WW I would check the shelf price & if it was still low, I would get another bag of chips knowing I would get them free & the store was too stupid to realise their mistake.
Another time, I was charged twice for some grapes. I had 1 bag of grapes but the checkout operator managed to scan them twice, each time at a different weight!! Of course, I got my grapes free.
Did you tell them that this keeps happening and it's not your first time happening ?
 
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Correct me if I’m wrong - but I believe the weight on the carton is the average weight of the egg or the combined weight of all eggs in the carton - NOT the weight of each egg. I do check the eggs in every carton we buy, not for individual size but to check there are no broken/cracked ones and no broken ones stuck to the carton itself.
 
A tip, don't buy roast chicken that is on special, it's not worth saving a few dollars because the on special chicken tends to be dry and tough. Ring the store, and ask when is their chicken roasted and put for sale, that way you can be sure you will purchase a fresh hot juicy roasted chicken. 🙏🦋
I have been told there is a time limit set for when they remove BBQ chickens from sale from the time they are put out on display. Whether they remove them or not after that time I cannot say.
 
And not be dead and cooked otherwise it wouldn’t lay those golden eggs! Ha, ha.

The BBQ chickens from Woolworths and Coles seem to be quite shrivelled up and the meat is so hard and so little.
We enjoyed our home cooked 2 kg herbed chicken last night. Enough for four people.

Cost? $8.04 on special plus electricity for cooking.
 
We enjoyed our home cooked 2 kg herbed chicken last night. Enough for four people.

Cost? $8.04 on special plus electricity for cooking.
Dinner was absolutely delicious last night, thank you @Veggiepatch. Roast, herbed chicken cooked to perfection. Roast potatoes and honey julienne carrots. Scrumptious! 😋
 
Good on you!

I got pulled up some years ago for breaking the stalks off broccoli and then berated by some shop bitch.

The bag was promptly emptied onto the floor and a barrage of abuse aimed at the bitch.

And no. I am not apologetic for my actions.
Poor staff, awful having to deal with such pathetic excuses for decency.
 
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We enjoyed our home cooked 2 kg herbed chicken last night. Enough for four people.

Cost? $8.04 on special plus electricity for cooking.
How do you know how much electricity was do you still use a penny in the slot system.🤣
I’ve just put on 2kgs of chicken drumsticks in my slow cooker, it’ll take approximately 2 hours so I have no clue how much it’ll cost.🌞
 
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And not be dead and cooked otherwise it wouldn’t lay those golden eggs! Ha, ha.

The BBQ chickens from Woolworths and Coles seem to be quite shrivelled up and the meat is so hard and so little.
Why, you ask the "?" Because I reckon that they're only 2 days old out of their eggs. They're so damned small, &, they need at least 20 minutes less cooking. The keep cooking in the clip bags they're put in.

I find the best time to buy one, especially from our local Coles for tea, is, anytime between 4.30 pm & 5pm.
This is for an "Early" meal with them just out of the oven. Get ones from the back as they're the freshest.

Only problem, still small & overcooked.
 
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How do you know how much electricity was do you still use a penny in the slot system.🤣
I’ve just put on 2kgs of chicken drumsticks in my slow cooker, it’ll take approximately 2 hours so I have no clue how much it’ll cost.🌞
That should cost no more than 30 cents, based on 35 cents per kilowatt and 320 watt appliance consumption.

Slow cookers aren't power thirsty.
 
Poor staff, awful having to deal with such pathetic excuses for decency.
When some arsehole tries to put shit on me, they get it back, but doubled.

Are you the type to cower down to any "authority" without a whimper? If so, you are a gutless wimp who is used to being downtrodden. Your childhood experiences may be in question here.

I hope you don't work in a retailer near me....
 
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I always get my docket & check it before leaving. A few years ago I had my freezer well stocked with frozen chips as the shelf price was lower than the scanned price. I would go back, point out the error which was then checked by staff & got my refund. This went on for weeks. Every time I went in to WW I would check the shelf price & if it was still low, I would get another bag of chips knowing I would get them free & the store was too stupid to realise their mistake.
Another time, I was charged twice for some grapes. I had 1 bag of grapes but the checkout operator managed to scan them twice, each time at a different weight!! Of course, I got my grapes free.
Last week I got 3 doz eggs for $3.30!!! Shelf price was $4.70/doz but at checkout scanned as $8. I asked how come & the checkout girl went to check & said they had been placed in the wrong place. She tried to correct 1 carton to $4.70 but couldn't work out the difference between $8 & $4.70 (modern education for you) so ended up with $3.30 as the price. Still couldn't work out how to correct the whole sale so refunded to balance still on the computer of $20 & said I could have the lot for $3.30. I did not complain but the education system & training in store needs to be improveed so that stores do not lose money.
 

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