The cost of groceries at Woolworths has gone up even when factoring in specials, while prices at Coles decreased and Aldi’s remained relatively stable, according to Choice’s latest supermarket price tracker.
The consumer advocacy group has released its fourth quarterly report, funded by the federal government, into supermarket prices, which it assesses by buying a basket of 14 common grocery items from different stores.
The report found that, from March to December last year, the price of the Woolworths basket, including items on special, increased by 3.7%, with the price going from $64.93 in the first quarter to $67.34 in the latest quarter.
The Coles basket cost $66.84 in December, compared with $68.52 in March – a decrease of 2.5%.
The Aldi basket remained “almost unchanged” with a slight decrease of 0.3%, Choice said. In December, Aldi’s basket was $51.36, compared with $51.51 in March.
Choice started recording prices at IGA stores in June and said they had gone down from $78.95 to $74.90 in December.
To prepare the report, Choice said it visited 104 supermarkets across the country – including Aldi, Woolworths, Coles and IGA stores – in December to record prices.
Comparable items were chosen based on a range of factors including size, quality and ingredients but the specific brands are not identified by Choice to prevent supermarkets gaming the survey.
The release of the report comes six days after the competition regulator published the final report from its long-running inquiry into the supermarket sector.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission found Coles and Woolworths increased prices during a cost-of-living crisis to boost profits and used promotions that made it hard to judge a good shopping deal.
The ACCC found the big chains, along with discount rival Aldi, were among the most profitable supermarket businesses in the world, and that the sector requires widespread reform.
The regulator’s 441-page report calls for 20 recommendations, including greater transparency around prices, special offers and “shrinkflation”.
Choice’s government-funded price comparison is part of an initiative to provide better transparency of the supermarket sector, which has increased prices beyond what is necessary during a cost-of-living crisis, according to the findings of the competition regulator’s recent report.
Separately, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is suing major retailers Coles and Woolworths over what is commonly known as “was/is” comparative pricing.
