Whether you love them or hate them, Australia’s major supermarkets are often on the minds of millions. And there’s a good chance you’ve popped into a Woolworths, Coles or Aldi in the past week, battling the crowds to get your hands on your festive favourites.
Perhaps you’ve also ducked into Kmart or Bunnings to pick up a gift for a loved one. And when you did, there’s a good chance you spotted something a little different, with the major stores embracing huge changes in 2025.
The retailers are continually overhauling their store layouts and checkout systems as shoppers’ habits evolve.
Let’s take a look at what changed in 2025 and what you can expect to see in the New Year.
Woolworths attracted criticism for a new set of gates being trialled at a Melbourne store. Source: Peter Rami/Camberwell Shopping
Coles, Woolworths, Aldi, Bunnings changes in 2025Ever-evolving checkouts
Today, almost every major chain — including Coles, Woolworths, Aldi, IGA, Kmart and Bunnings — has introduced self-serve checkouts.
The features became even more prominent this year and are now widespread across the country.
Woolworths recently revealed to Yahoo that self-serve checkouts have been rolled out to 98 per cent of their supermarkets.
The kiosks have been credited with speeding up the payment process, which would otherwise rely on staff members individually processing and bagging customers’ groceries.
However, not everyone enjoys them, with opponents arguing they come at the cost of jobs, while also increasing instances of theft. Which leads us to our next point.
Increased security
With theft on the rise due to the cost of living, numerous retailers have been forced to step up their security. Some measures you might not even notice.
Others, such as new anti-theft security gates installed at Coles and Woolies, you have definitely spotted. The latter copped some heat this year after shoppers criticised new push-through access gates being trialled in an east coast store.
In a bid to tackle the problem, some Coles stores deployed new technology, including weighted shelves, locked display cabinets and audio reminders about CCTV.
Despite some pushback, Bunnings has declared it is interested in using facial recognition cameras in stores again.
Have you witnessed an intriguing change at your local supermarket? Contact newsroomau@yahoonews.com
AI smart trolleys allow customers to scan, weigh and pay for groceries as the roam the aisles. Source: TikTok/7News
AI-powered smart trolleys
This year, shoppers at Coles Richmond Traders store benefitted from a trial of AI-powered smart trolleys.
They enable shoppers to pick, weigh and pay for groceries from their trolley as they roam the aisles without the need for traditional checkouts. The trolleys are equipped with AI, cameras, sensors and a built-in weight scale, which will automatically recognise items as they’re added to the trolley.
Coles isn’t the only brand trialling new trolley tech, with Scan&Go trolleys arriving at dozens of Woolworths stores earlier this year.
Customers use their Everyday Rewards card to sign into a ‘device’ – an iPad-sized touchscreen – that connects to the front of the trolleys.
The devices have a built-in scanner, so shoppers can scan and pack their groceries as they go.
Increase in home brands
Both Woolies and Coles have invested heavily in their home brands, with the latter revealing early this year that it would slash the number of products on its shelves by at least 10 per cent, following in the footsteps of discount supermarket chain Aldi.
Woolworths also explained that it was increasing shelf capacity to offer more home brand stock.
The two supermarkets have also created different tiers of in-house items, with some being in plain, boring plastic, while others look almost like luxury brands because of fancy packaging.
Aldi partners with DoorDash
While Coles and Woolworths already have partnerships with DoorDash and Uber Eats for on-demand deliveries, Aldi decided to throw its hat in the ring this year.
The low-cost supermarket partnered with DoorDash in July to trial food delivery, but it was only available to those in Canberra.
In the following months, the scheme was slowly expanded across the country.
What’s on the horizon for 2026Kmart to overhaul layout
Kmart stores across Australia will soon undergo a major format change following a flurry of complaints from frustrated shoppers.
The retail store announced in August that it will soon be reverting to its original layout, with checkouts moving from the centre of the store to the front.
Kmart’s checkouts will soon move from the centre of the store to the front. Photo: Stuff
Cash rule change
From January 1, supermarkets and petrol stations will be forced to accept cash payments.
The Australian government’s new cash mandate will come into effect in the new year, but some groups have argued the changes don’t go far enough.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers confirmed it would be mandatory for fuel and grocery retailers to accept cash as payment for the essential goods from next year. The mandate will apply to in-person transactions of $500 or less between 7am and 9pm.
Cheaper prices on some products
While Coles and Woolies are working on expanding their home brands, the latter announced in November that its Lower Shelf Price initiative will be expanded for a minimum of six months.
That means that more than 130 products will have a locked-in lower price for that time frame, potentially saving shoppers hundreds of dollars.
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