Major grocery change saving Aussie families up to $2424 a year

The way Australian grocery store has been forever changed thanks to rising food prices, with some key trends emerging, according to a survey of more than 3,000 consumers by consumer group Canstar.

The four major trends, which started as short-term ways to save during a cost of living crisishave quickly become the new normal.

“The majority of Australians have changed the way they shop in an effort to save money, highlighting how the rising cost of living has turned a weekly chore into a strategic exercise,” Canstar spokesperson Eden Radford said of this transformation.

“Households are spending real-time and mental energy trying to stretch their budget at the supermarket, and Canstar’s research shows they are becoming increasingly aware of this.”

1. Switching to private labels

Two in five Australian shoppers have switched to store brands, which can save a family of four up to $2,424 a year, according to Canstar research.

“Switching to private label products is one of the easiest ways to take back control of your grocery bill,” Radford said.

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With Coles and Woolworths investing heavily in their own brand products, this move no longer means compromising on quality.

Several private label products have won customer satisfaction awards through Canstar surveys, including Almat and Trimat detergent and powder from Aldi and sliced ​​cheese from Westacre.

Coles has won awards for its breakfast oats, wholemeal bread and white sliced ​​bread from Coles Bakery.

And Woolworths has won awards for its Bell Farms private label cream and frozen vegetables

Private label sales now account for approx 30 percent of sales in Australia at supermarkets throughout the country.

Cross-shopping, also at discount stores

Half of Australian shoppers now visit multiple supermarkets to take advantage of special offers, rather than remaining loyal to one supermarket, Canstar reports.

Another 30 percent of consumers now visit a discount store like Red Dollar or The Reject Shop as part of their regular shopping schedule to save even more, especially on basic necessities.

Shoppers also like to look for the best prices on expensive items such as meat.

All this may take longer than a visit to one supermarket, but proves to be the most effective when it comes to saving at the checkout.

The Shopfully Annual The state of shopping The report also shows that there is less customer loyalty, as two-thirds of Australian shoppers (67 percent) take the time to compare prices from multiple retailers to ensure they are getting the best deal before making a purchase.

Twenty-one percent of shoppers surveyed by Canstar also shop at different times of the day to get discounts, such as discounts on bakery and fresh produce.

Unit prices, no sales tags

Canstar has found that Australian shoppers are increasingly using unit pricing rather than per product price to ensure they choose the best possible price.

Radford has labeled this one of “the most underused tools in every retailer’s cart.”

Again, this may take a little longer, but it’s well worth it: 40 percent of respondents say taking the time to compare unit prices on a regular basis will do the trick.

And this means ignoring sales tags in favor of unit pricing, even though this can be difficult.

RMIT Finance and Marketing expert Dr. Nadja Dollisson suggested using sales tags as a “prompt to check the unit price” rather than assuming the sales tag represents the best possible price.

Previous treats

Canstar also found that 37 percent of Australian shoppers are foregoing buying treats in an effort to make ends meet.

These so-called “discretionary items” are the easiest way for shoppers to save, but can feel a bit deflating as a long-term strategy.

Spirits and tobacco are Coles and Woolworths’ biggest ‘discretionary’ categories and both supermarkets reported weak sales in these areas as they reported their latest sales results.

However, Coles also reported that customers are still buying treats such as crisps, biscuits, chocolate and ice cream, but are choosing smaller or more affordable versions of them.

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