A Woolworths Metro store in Brisbane is selling 30-packs of Coca-Cola cans for $60, which is $10 higher than normal. (Source: AAP/Reddit)
Australians were understandably shocked over a beloved supermarket item costing more than a slab of beer. According to a picture posted on social media, a 30-pack of Coca-Cola cans would set a Woolworths shopper back a whopping $60.
But a spokesperson for the supermarket told Yahoo Finance this hefty price tag is only found in one Brisbane store. They added that this is because of a little-known initiative that has been around for a few years.
“We have a program in our Metro stores called Picked by You, allowing shoppers to nominate products they’d love to see on shelves, helping create a product range for the local community, by the local community,” they said.
Metro stores are smaller than your typical Woolworths supermarkets and might not have everything you need for your weekly or daily grocery haul.
They’re designed for shoppers on the go and are usually stocked with ready meals and essentials like milk and toilet paper.
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Sadly, this means shoppers might have to travel elsewhere just to get a single product that’s not at their local Metro.
But the Picked by You initiative allows you to make a request for something you’d like to see stocked on the shelves.
There’s no minimum number of requests that’s needed for a nomination to be successful.
Products across the board at Metro stores can be as much as 10 per cent higher than their regular Woolworths supermarket counterparts, according to a News Corp investigation.
But this is because Metro stores, despite their smaller size, have high operating costs due to where they’re located.
Even though prices might be higher, Woolies said it is committed to “offering value and specials” in every Metro store.
If an item is approved for Picked by You, it doesn’t make it more expensive.
But sending a product to a Metro store versus a regular supermarket can affect the shelf price.
This is what happened when someone in Brisbane wanted to have 30-packs of Coca-Cola stocked at their local Metro.
The wish was granted, but it meant the shelf price was $10 more expensive than what you’d pay if you ordered it online or at any other Woolies supermarket.
A shopper passing by the soft drink section at this Metro store snapped a picture and posted it to social media.
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People couldn’t believe how much it cost to get a 30-pack of Coca-Cola at this one store. (Source: Reddit)
“No one is going to buy these. Why waste their shelf space?” they said. “Do they not want them to move or are there really suckers who pay this? Highest I’ve ever seen it.”
Others couldn’t believe you’d have to fork out $60 for some cans of Coke, which would end up being $2 each.
“More expensive than beer,” someone wrote, with a case of Carlton Dry going for $55 at the moment.
“We used to buy these for $12 back in the ’90s. It was still only $16.99 by the late ’00s too. Insane,” added a third.
It’s a fairly simple process to make a nomination, and all you need is a phone or smart device.
“To suggest a product, customers should look out for the Picked by You signs in store,” the spokesperson told Yahoo Finance.
The signs have a QR code attached to them, and that’s where you make your request.
The initiative was launched in 2022, and since then, more than 9,580 products have been added to Metro stores across the country.
There are 90 Metro Woolworths stores dotted around the country, and you can usually find them close to public transport and high-foot traffic zones in CBDs and inner city suburbs.
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