{"id":592056,"date":"2026-05-19T07:48:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T07:48:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/592056\/"},"modified":"2026-05-19T07:48:16","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T07:48:16","slug":"major-grocery-change-saving-aussie-families-up-to-2424-a-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/592056\/","title":{"rendered":"Major grocery change saving Aussie families up to $2424 a year"},"content":{"rendered":"

The way Australians grocery shop<\/a> has forever changed thanks to soaring food prices, with some key trends emerging, according to a survey of over 3000 shoppers by consumer group Canstar<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The four main trends, which began as short-term ways to save during a cost-of-living crisis<\/a>, have quickly become the new normal.\ufeff<\/p>\n

“The majority of Australians have changed how they shop in a bid to save money, showing how the climbing cost-of-living has turned a weekly chore into a strategic exercise,” Canstar<\/a> spokesperson, Eden Radford, said of this transformation.<\/p>\n

\"groceryThe way Australians grocery shop has forever changed thanks to soaring food prices. (Getty)<\/p>\n

“Households are spending real time and mental energy trying to stretch their dollar at the supermarket, and Canstar’s research shows they’re getting increasingly savvy about it.”\ufeff<\/p>\n

1. \ufeffSwitching to home brands\ufeff<\/p>\n

Two-in-five Aussie shoppers have switched to home brands, which can save a family-of-four up to $2424 a year, according to Canstar research.<\/p>\n

“Switching to home-brand products is one of the simplest ways to take back control of your grocery bill,” Radford said.<\/p>\n

READ MORE: Popular vegetable disappears from supermarket shelves\ufeff<\/a><\/p>\n

READ MORE: Australia’s best supermarket eggs have been crowned<\/a><\/p>\n

\ufeffREAD MORE: Coles quietly hikes online shopping charge<\/a><\/p>\n

\"beetrootTwo-in-five Aussie shoppers have switched to home brands. (Nine)<\/p>\n

\ufeffWith Coles and Woolworths heavily investing in their home brand products, this switch no longer means compromising on quality.<\/p>\n

In fact, several home brand products have won Customer Satisfaction Awards via Canstar surveys, including Aldi’s Almat and Trimat laundry liquid and powder and Westacre sliced cheese\ufeff.<\/p>\n

Coles has picked up awards for its breakfast oats, wholemeal bread, and Coles Bakery white sliced bread.<\/p>\n

And Woolworths has picked up awards for its cream and its Bell Farms home brand frozen vegetables.\ufeff<\/p>\n

Home brand sales now account for approximately 30 per cent of sales in Australia<\/a> at supermarkets across the country.<\/p>\n

Cross-shopping, including at discount stores<\/p>\n

Half of Aussie shoppers now visit multiple supermarkets to take advantage of specials, rather than staying loyal to one, Canstar reports.<\/p>\n

A further 30 per cent of consumers now visit a discount store such as Red Dollar or The Reject Shop as part of their regular grocery shopping schedule for further savings, particularly on pantry staples.<\/p>\n

Half of Aussie shoppers now visit multiple supermarkets. (Bloomberg via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Shoppers are also happy to hunt around for the best prices on expensive items such as meat.\ufeff<\/p>\n

This all may take longer than visiting one supermarket, but is proving most effective when it comes to saving at the checkout.\ufeff<\/p>\n

\"theDiscount retailers have also been added into the mix for pantry staples and other items. (Nine)<\/p>\n

The Shopfully annual The State of Shopping<\/a> report also found there is less shopper loyalty as two-thirds of Aussie shoppers (67 per cent) take the time to compare prices across multiple retailers to ensure they are securing the best deal before making a purchase.<\/p>\n

Twenty-one per cent of shoppers surveyed by Canstar also shop at different times of the day to catch discounts such as bakery and fresh produce markdowns.<\/p>\n

Unit pricing, not sales tags<\/p>\n

Canstar has found Aussie shoppers have increasingly been using unit pricing rather than the price per product, to ensure they are choosing the best price possible.<\/p>\n

Radford has labelled this one of “the most underutilised tools in any shopper’s trolley”.<\/p>\n

Unit pricing is the best way to ensure you are paying the lowest price, not the per pack cost. (9Honey)<\/p>\n

Once again, this can take a little longer, however it is well worth it, with 40 per cent of those surveyed saying taking the time to compare unit pricing is something they do regularly.<\/p>\n

And this does mean ignoring sales tags in favour of unit pricing, even though this can be difficult to do.\ufeff<\/p>\n

\"woolworthsSales tags can distract customers from checking they are paying the best prices possible. (Nine)<\/p>\n

RMIT Finance and Marketing expert Dr Nadja Dollisson suggested using sales tags as a “prompt to check” the unit pricing instead of assuming that the sales tag is reflecting the best price possible.<\/p>\n

Foregoing treats<\/p>\n

Canstar also found that \ufeff37 per cent of Aussie shoppers are foregoing buying treats in an effort to make ends meet.<\/p>\n

\ufeffThese so called “discretionary items” are the easiest way for shoppers to save, but as a long-term strategy, can feel a little deflating.<\/p>\n

\"cadburyCanstar also found that \ufeff37 per cent of Aussie shoppers are foregoing buying treats. (Nine)<\/p>\n

Liquor and tobacco are Coles and Woolworths’ largest “discretionary” categories and both supermarkets reported weak sales in these areas while reporting on their latest sales results.<\/p>\n

However, Coles also reported that customers are still buying treats such as chips, biscuits, chocolate, and ice-cream, but they are choosing smaller or more affordable versions of them.<\/p>\n

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