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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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.
In winter I cook a lot with my slow cooker & have found them to be very economical. I even make my own caramel in the slow cooker in bulk. I love condensed milk caramel so I buy 5 or 6 cans of Nestles Sweetened Condensed Milk & put them in the slow cooker. Cover with water (essential the water completely covers the cans all the time), set to high & leave for 4.5 to 5 hours. Cheaper than buying Nestles condensed milk caramel in the supermarket & I have plenty on hand for whenever I want/need them.
I did use WW own brand once but never again. The glue which holds the paper label melted & I had a ring of glue around the cooker at the water level. It was really hard too remove. Never happens with Nestles Condensed Milk.
 
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.
Dear member Catherines, thankyou for your post. If you ring Coles and ask when are their chicken roasted and put out for sale, you can then purchase a fresh juicy hot roasted chicken. The ones that have a discounted price on then usually by late evening, and not worth it, they tend to be dry and tough. Wishing you a pleasant evening, God bless, 🙏🦋
 
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.
The shop have to pay for the stalks so why shouldn’t you. I slice them up and freeze them to put in soup. You sound like the bitch, not the shop assistant
 
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Reactions: Veggiepatch
Dear member Catherines, thankyou for your post. If you ring Coles and ask when are their chicken roasted and put out for sale, you can then purchase a fresh juicy hot roasted chicken. The ones that have a discounted price on then usually by late evening, and not worth it, they tend to be dry and tough. Wishing you a pleasant evening, God bless, 🙏🦋
I picked one up the other day for half price at 2.30pm. They are marked down after they have been in the hot box for 4 hours. It was still moist and delicious
 
It amazes me that people don't eat the stalks, I remember years ago watching TV and one of the healt experts or chefs/cooks saying they couldn't understand why people cut them off because they hold most of the nutrients, so I cut a small section off and cut up the stalks for stir fries, stews etc the stalks are thicker so I just slice them up, I often recognise them in bought Chinese/Thai foods etc.
 
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Reactions: Suzanne rose
Really! That’s where all the vitamins and minerals are it’s the best part.😋
I clean the stems up and cut into pieces and steam along with the heads.
I used to throw them away until my son inlaw told me all the vitamins are in the stem.
He lives eating the stems raw. My daughter actually cuts the stem up and put into a zip bag and he eats it Luke people eat carrot sticks.
It also nice cut into long julienne sticks and added to Stir-fry and soups
 
It amazes me that people don't eat the stalks, I remember years ago watching TV and one of the healt experts or chefs/cooks saying they couldn't understand why people cut them off because they hold most of the nutrients, so I cut a small section off and cut up the stalks for stir fries, stews etc the stalks are thicker so I just slice them up, I often recognise them in bought Chinese/Thai foods etc.
I think most people don't know this. I only found out how good they are a few teams ago when my son inlaw explained it to me
 
Some of the chooks I have seen in Woolies and Coles were smaller than the bantams I use to have as a kid. I have even seen pigeons bigger than what they offer.... and in passing do other customers open up the egg carton and check the eggs. I do and I have noticed that when I buy 700-900 grm eggs when I check inside there are always 3/4 eggs that are not true to the size advertised on the carton. So I swap them over so ALL the eggs are the same size. I will not be ripped off by any business just to enhance their bottom line. You can critisise me if you want but again my bantams gave me bigger eggs than what I have found in some cartons.
Then all you are doing is giving all the small eggs to someone else. Not many people check eggs and do as you do.

So have you actually weighed an egg to see if you are getting the right egg.
A 700g packet of 12 eggs , each egg should weigh 58.3g

I have actually weighed eggs when I thought they were small but weight was correct.

Maybe the smaller egg is the correct weight and the larger size is a bonus. You are then taking all the bonuses
 
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Some of the chooks I have seen in Woolies and Coles were smaller than the bantams I use to have as a kid. I have even seen pigeons bigger than what they offer.... and in passing do other customers open up the egg carton and check the eggs. I do and I have noticed that when I buy 700-900 grm eggs when I check inside there are always 3/4 eggs that are not true to the size advertised on the carton. So I swap them over so ALL the eggs are the same size. I will not be ripped off by any business just to enhance their bottom line. You can critisise me if you want but again my bantams gave me bigger eggs than what I have found in some cartons.
Not necessarily the shop placing smaller eggs in cartons… have witnessed shoppers on 2 occasions exchanging larger eggs for smaller eggs and taking the smaller egg carton.
 
Some of the chooks I have seen in Woolies and Coles were smaller than the bantams I use to have as a kid. I have even seen pigeons bigger than what they offer.... and in passing do other customers open up the egg carton and check the eggs. I do and I have noticed that when I buy 700-900 grm eggs when I check inside there are always 3/4 eggs that are not true to the size advertised on the carton. So I swap them over so ALL the eggs are the same size. I will not be ripped off by any business just to enhance their bottom line. You can critisise me if you want but again my bantams gave me bigger eggs than what I have found in some cartons.
Good idea I Agee with you 100%
 
I must admit I do buy frozen broccoli because I find it's great for stir fries.
I've also been using frozen broccoli and cauliflower and it's just as good as fresh. I use this when broccoli is high in price which is high atm.
I've heard that frozen vegetables are actually fresher than fresh
 
It amazes me that people don't eat the stalks, I remember years ago watching TV and one of the healt experts or chefs/cooks saying they couldn't understand why people cut them off because they hold most of the nutrients, so I cut a small section off and cut up the stalks for stir fries, stews etc the stalks are thicker so I just slice them up, I often recognise them in bought Chinese/Thai foods etc.
The stalks do not hold most of the nutrients. They have more fibre than the rest of the plant. The leaves have a greater concentration of nutrients.
 

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