SW shoppers lament ‘crazy’ and ‘through the roof’ prices as supermarkets face inquiry

Young families and pensioners alike have spoken out about rising supermarket prices in our region as retailers prepare to face a grilling on their impact on cost of living in Australia. The South Western Times visited five major grocery outlets in the Bunbury area to compare prices and spoke to more than a dozen shoppers about the cost of groceries after the Government announced an Australian Competition and Consumer Commission inquiry into alleged price gouging by supermarkets. Treasurer Jim Chalmers ordered the inquiry — the first of its kind since 2008 — saying the Government wanted “a fair go” for families and farmers. “Australians are under cost-of-living pressure, and we know that a lot of that pressure is piled on at the cash register,” he said. Speaking outside Bunbury Aldi this week, pensioner Eileen Littlefair said the cost of her shop was a shock as it contained no meat or cheese. The total came to $70, and she said that she had even considered checking if she was eligible for any cost-of-living relief such as food vouchers. “People are struggling who normally wouldn’t be struggling,” Ms Littlefair said. “You don’t normally think about going without when it is things you can’t go without.” Single mother Naomi Thomas agreed and said she struggled to buy meat and other produce in the same week, adding that the price of bread had gone up considerably. That, she said, was one of the reasons she was shopping at Aldi as she felt she would benefit from the lower costs of certain items. “I believe the inquiry is a good thing and hopefully there will be a decrease in prices,” she said. According to price comparison website Finder, 92 per cent of Aussies have implemented new shopping strategies to save money at the checkout as they struggle to cover rising costs. Of 1002 people surveyed, 61 per cent said they visited multiple stores, 53 per cent were taking advantage of savings tied to bulk buying and 38 per cent were using coupons. Finder consumer research head, Graham Cooke, said millions of Australians were in need of relief. “Many are struggling to afford the bare necessities and don’t want to pay more than they need to for food,” he said. “Shoppers are fearful of getting to the grocery checkout worried about what the total will come to.” The findings also revealed an average Aussie household spent $188 per week on groceries in January, up $10 a week compared to two years prior and adding around $520 to grocery bills over a 12-month period on average. The South Western Times conducted a brief comparison of costs of 11 common and key products at supermarkets in the region this week, canvassing prices at Woolworths, Coles, Aldi, IGA and Bunbury Farmers Market. Products compared included a dozen eggs, bananas, white bread, milk, cheese, a whole raw chicken, beef mince, strawberries, potatoes and apples. Regular varieties were selected without comparing them to gourmet, organic or premium options. The total basket cost for all 11 items was $102.40 at Woolworths, $101.65 at Coles, $89.95 at Aldi, $131.31 at IGA and $107.16 at Bunbury Farmers Market. Bunbury IGA appeared the most expensive grocery retailer across the board with meat, margarine and broccoli bearing the heftiest price tags, despite Coles and Woolworths being at the forefront of price gouging allegations and fierce competitors. Aged care worker Annalyse Bell, and Harvey IGA shopper, said she had been feeling the pinch over the last few years as prices have continued to rise, and was interested to know what the ACCC inquiry would reveal. “As long as it’s fair, and we are paying for what we are receiving ,” she said. Harvey IGA shoppers Apollo Valvepena and Peter Malama said they had no issues with the cost of groceries. However, they both agreed the inquiry into prices will be good to help understand the current costs. Eaton Coles shoppers Dianne Hanrahan and Simone Farquhar said they had heard about the ACCC inquiry and were concerned about the alleged control big supermarkets had over price-setting. Ms Hanrahan said: “I don’t know if it can help as there are big companies involved that have a monopoly”. “It’s totally unfair to everyone. We’ve been struggling ourselves,” Ms Farquhar said. “Things are generally more expensive which is unfair for the general public, for example you are now paying about $5 for a loaf of bread. “You’re just paying a lot for things I think are really not worth what you’re paying.” Mother of two Rebecca Seaton and Woolworths Eaton shopper, said she had to budget for her meal prep and consider where she got her ingredients. “It’s actually through the roof,” she said. “One week it is $3.50 for a broccoli and the next it could be $6.50 so we just don’t buy the broccoli.” She added that she told her husband on the day the Times spoke to her that their shop was her most expensive shop yet, coming in at $375 despite her trolley “not being that full”. She welcomed the inquiry. “I hope it comes sooner rather than later, it feels like they have been dangling a string,” she said. Mother Zoe Mills, another Woolies customer, said the inquiry definitely needed to go ahead as the supermarkets sell necessities. “It’s absolutely crazy”, she said. “I just spent about $100 dollars just to stock up on pantry basics to bake banana bread. “We try and go to the farmers market for fruit and veggies but always need to come to the supermarket for condiments and other things. They need to look into it.” Over at Bunbury Farmers Market, former farmer Louise Hughes said she was delighted that an inquiry had been called. “I think the travesty is that the farmers aren’t getting more out of it,” she said. “I think it’s really hard on people, you’ve got to be more thoughtful with what you buy and where you buy it. “I’d rather go without than pay extortionate amount of money for things.” Debora Marion, a Perth local and regular customer at the markets said she had seen a significant increase in prices even at the Bunbury Farmers Market. “We’re hoping (the inquiry) it’s going to be a success and that the Government fights for us,” she said.