ALDI and Coles prices decreased while Woolworths prices increased during first year of CHOICE’s quarterly, government-funded reports on supermarket prices across Australia.
In December, the consumer group visited 104 supermarkets across the country, including ALDI, Woolworths, Coles and IGA, and recorded the prices of 14 common grocery items.
From March 2024 to December 2024, ALDI’s basket price with specials remained almost unchanged, decreasing by just 0.3% ($51.51 compared to $51.36)
During the same period, the Coles basket with specials decreased 2.5% ($68.52 compared to $66.84), while the Woolworths basket with specials increased by 3.7% ($64.93 compared to $67.34).
IGA stores weren’t included in the March survey, but CHOICE found the price of their basket has dropped since the June survey, costing $78.95 in June compared to $74.90 in December.
“When excluding specials, the ALDI basket once again decreased in price by 0.3%, from $51.51 in March 2024 to $51.36 in December 2024,” said CHOICE CEO Ashley de Silva.
“At Coles, the basket without specials decreased from $69.33 in March to $67.84 in December. At Woolworths, the price without specials increased slightly from $68.58 in March to $69.63 in December.”
CHOICE noted that Coles and Woolworths prices were closely matched at the first quarter survey, with only 75 cents between them for a basket without specials. Matched. This has increased slightly to a $1.79 difference between the baskets without specials in December.
“While the difference doesn’t seem that much, over a year of weekly shops, the difference would add up to more than $90,” says Mr de Silva.
“Over the past year, our supermarket basket surveys have shown there are simple ways to save money on your weekly shop. Using unit pricing to compare prices and find the cheapest option, shopping across multiple stores to take advantage of specials, and trying house brand products can all help you reduce grocery bills in the long run,” he said.
Launched last year, CHOICE’s supermarket price research will continue every quarter for the three years, helping people to stay on top of where they can find the cheapest groceries.