Consumers have expressed frustration towards Coles and Woolworths, accusing them of inflating prices, as essential groceries such as bread and fresh produce become increasingly unaffordable for many families.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is pursuing hefty fines against Woolworths and Coles for alleged violations of their promotional campaigns—‘prices dropped’ and ‘Down Down’—spanning from late 2021 to early 2023.
In a cheeky protest against the alleged price manipulation, shoppers have placed parody versions of the supermarkets’ promotional flyers on store shelves.
One sticker humorously states, “Thanks for funding our CEO’s bonus – enjoy your noodles,” positioned above packs of instant noodles.
Another reads: “Over $1 billion in profit – thanks to record-high prices.”
A third sarcastically remarks, “We cash in, you check out.”
After images of the flyers were shared on Reddit, Aussies shared their struggles to afford basic items like bread or pasta in the comments.
‘I am eating the absolute cheapest things I can find. Cereal, beans, pasta. Even fruit feels like a luxury now. Bread and butter, an extravagant treat,’ one person said.
In response to the alleged price-gouging, shoppers have placed tongue-in-cheek replicas of the supermarkets’ promotional flyers (pictured) on supermarket shelves
‘Can anyone remember the days when we used a trolley and filled it with food? Nowadays, I buy what I can carry and fill one bag, tops.’
Another wrote: ‘I look at my trolley and there’s only about five or six items and it still costs me $80 for everything each week!’
A third said they typically spend $300 a week for two people, which covers their needs for the weekdays, but they have to return for ingredients at the weekend.
‘I’m now earning more money than I ever have, yet for the first time I have to quite religiously stick to a budget to have the same lifestyle I did five to 10 years ago on considerably less money,’ they wrote.
‘I have a one-year-old who has just discovered she likes berries,’ a fourth wrote.
‘Pray for me.’
GetUp! chief executive Paul Ferris told Daily Mail thousands of shoppers had been sending in photos of their own protests at their local Coles or Woolworths.
‘Supermarket giants are making eye-watering profits while Aussies struggle to afford the basics,’ he said.
Pictured, one of the protest stickers at a Woolworths store
‘These corporations have been caught red-handed with sneaky tricks like “shrinkflation” and fake “discounts” that actually hike costs.
‘The strong response to the campaign from our members shows the incredible and growing frustration.’
Daily Mail has contacted Coles and Woolworths for comment.
A 12-month inquiry by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), which concluded last year, found Coles and Woolworths had increased their margins in recent years.
Average profits had risen to as high as 43 per cent for potatoes, 38 per cent for cucumbers and 35 per cent for bananas, with suppliers left in a weak bargaining position.
Pictured is one of the protest stickers at a Coles supermarket
The report released in March found there is far less competition in Australia than overseas, making the supermarket sector ‘oligopolistic’.
‘Coles and Woolworths have limited incentive to compete vigorously with each other on price,’ it said.
‘We have not observed Coles and Woolworths seeking to substantially discount prices below each other in aggregate.’
But the ACCC didn’t declare that Coles and Woolworths had a duopoly, and stopped short of calling grocery prices ‘excessive’. It also didn’t lay the blame for a cost-of-living crisis on the supermarket giants.
Coles is currently fighting claims that it misled customers by artificially increasing prices before reducing them and claiming shoppers were then getting a discount.
The supermarket has defended its ‘down down’ discount campaign, saying grocery shoppers understood they represented ‘fair dinkum’ price reductions.
The case continues before Justice Michael O’Bryan.
