Coles and ALDI to Increase Price of Milk by 10c/Litre

Levathian on 19/03/2019 - 23:46

I'm interested in what my fellow bargain hunters think of this dilemma. Coles and Aldi have decided to increase the price of milk by 10c/L to boost farmer pay. IGA has not yet followed.

Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-19/coles-aldi-milk-price…

Personally, I am not concerned at all. Even if someone drinks 1L of milk per day, the increased cost is only $36.50 annually; a hardly noticeable sum when the average person spends $5000+ per person on groceries.
The second dilemma is, will this increase the cost of cafe coffees, milkshakes and teas, now that milk has gone up 10%? I assume most businesses will pass on the costs to the consumer.

So my question IS, are there any people out there who'd actually be offended by this price increase? What mitigating factors will you put into play so that the weekly budget is once again balanced? Is $1/week even worth worrying about?

Food & Grocery Milk

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Comments

  • [Deactivated] on 19/03/2019 - 23:54

    offended by this price increase

    Businesses are free to charge what they please. I won't take offense but treat these businesses in contempt I will.

    What mitigating factors will you put into play so that the weekly budget is once again balanced

    My cost of living goes up, I charge more for my services. This is typically an overall win for me. Same thing happens with minimum wage rises, cost of everything goes up and relative wealth doesn't really change, or may actually be worse off.

    Is $1/week even worth worrying about?

    If you are, you need to work a 15 minute shift longer per week.

    • Levathian on 19/03/2019 - 23:57

      "If you are, you need to work a 15 minute shift longer per week."

      Wouldn't it be 90 seconds, at the average wage of $80,000?

      • [Deactivated] on 20/03/2019 - 00:05
        -1

        if I'm not wrong, 15 minutes is the minimum recordable time block.

        • Bryanalves on 20/03/2019 - 10:38
          +1

          I dont think the farmers are right to protest for coles to raise the prices. Coles have a right to charge what they want and the farmers have a right to charge coles what they want.

          What if coles wants to be loss leaders? The farmers not happy with that? It doesn't affect them. Farmers should charge buyers what is profitable to them just like most other goods/service in a free market economy.

          • [Deactivated] on 20/03/2019 - 10:41
            -1

            @Bryanalves: Farmers are right to protest.

            Businesses are right to ignore.

            If the farmers are damaging the image of the business with slander and libel, the businesses are right to sue the farmers.

            We have a very mature legal system, however eroded with social "justice", is still a pretty decent one.

      • Illian on 20/03/2019 - 00:24

        "average"

        Haaaaaahahaha! Don't we wish!

      • Diji1 on 20/03/2019 - 01:07
        +2

        Even though using averages is misleading the media continues to use this for income (wages - tax) which was 65K in 2017.

        The more representative figure is the median, the point at which half recieve more and half less.

        The median income is 44K.

        In real terms Australia's median income has been going backwards for over a generation as working people's earning decrease under successive Liberal and Labour Governments.

        • [Deactivated] on 20/03/2019 - 09:09
          -1

          Better than unemployed under Greens.

  • spackbace on 19/03/2019 - 23:55
    +4

    The second dilemma is, will this increase the cost of cafe coffees, milkshakes and teas, now that milk has gone up 10%?

    Lots of (decent) cafes don't use Coles/WW brand milk 😉

    Anyway I'm not bothered. 10-20c/bottle? A lot of people wouldn't even pick up a 10c coin if they saw it on the ground

    Interesting this was all debated before Coles/WW increased their prices

    • JIMB0 on 20/03/2019 - 06:46

      A lot of people wouldn't even pick up a 10c coin if they saw it on the ground

      A true ozbargainer would dash across 6 lanes of traffic to pick up 5c.

    • Bryanalves on 20/03/2019 - 11:18
      +2

      A lot of people wouldn't even pick up a 10c coin if they saw it on the ground

      You on ozbargain though.

    • tdw on 21/03/2019 - 06:07

      i would.
      unless it was covered in filth or whatever.
      i've been 10 or 5 cents short before and it's a pain.
      also handy to have loose change for parking ticket machines

  • Clear on 19/03/2019 - 23:59
    +2

    I haven't bought the supermarket generic milk in years. Instead I switched to brands that are owned by the the smaller players/farms and thus more money in the farmer's back pocket. Sure I end up paying ~$2 per litre but it's a small increase in my opinion.

    The second dilemma is, will this increase the cost of cafe coffees, milkshakes and teas, now that milk has gone up 10%? I assume most businesses will pass on the costs to the consumer.

    Any good establishment wouldn't be buying supermarket brand milk. Many have branded milk delivered ;)

  • [Deactivated] on 20/03/2019 - 00:06

    I'm not offended by it, but it did change my behaviour. I used to pour it on cereal last and probably used too much. Now I pour it first and only use 200ml, so my consumption has gone down.

  • coxjon on 20/03/2019 - 00:13

    Do most cafes use the home brand $1/L milk? It’s only those bottles that are increasing.

    • Prince K on 20/03/2019 - 01:20

      Profit margin for coffee is so high plus there’s only about 200mL of milk in a coffee. Even if some cafes use home brand, the price increase is so small it won’t even make a dent in their bank

      • djones145 on 20/03/2019 - 08:37

        starbucks have half a litre of milk in each coffee! and no coffee which balances it out!

  • Tech5 on 20/03/2019 - 00:24
    +10

    Someone already made a point last time this was brought up:

    Coles and Woolies can get off their high horse and stop pretending they are being generous and giving the farmers more money.

    No, WE are the ones giving the farmers the money. Nothing wrong with that at all, but the supermarkets need to stop pretending they suddenly grew a conscience.

    • MaKa on 20/03/2019 - 08:19
      +1

      I'm with you here. The supermarket chains are patting themselves on their backs.

      What I feel would be a better sign of faith to the consumer would be if the supermarket chains looked at their profit margins and maybe matched the consumer contributions (I.e. A 20c/l increase in milk price at the farm gate funded half by the consumer and half by the supermarket).

      The supermarket that did this would win my shopping dollar

  • Illian on 20/03/2019 - 00:26
    -4

    Doesn't affect me, I couldn't put that swill in my mouth without spitting it back out again. No sympathy for those who subject themselves and others to such shitty milk. I took one bit of a block of Coles cheese once and immediately threw the whole thing in the trash, buying it was a one off moment of weakness, doesn't matter how broke you are don't compromise on dairy.

  • JIMB0 on 20/03/2019 - 06:53

    Time to stock up before the price rise.

    • [Deactivated] on 20/03/2019 - 08:12

      From March 20… So it's already in effect isn't it?

      Time to buy UHT.

    • [Deactivated] on 20/03/2019 - 09:10

      Hope it keeps like Spam.

  • Bryanalves on 20/03/2019 - 10:33
    -1

    Mitigating factor is to buy full cream then add 10% water (dash of oil if you like it to retain the creamyness)

  • harveyworld on 20/03/2019 - 11:03
    +1

    If the Supermarkets want to pay the farmers more then so be it. But to do it on behalf of customers is wrong.

    I have no problem with Coles, Woolworths etc. giving the farmers $5 per litre if they really want to - they can afford it… but to publicly say we are passing this down to customers (no doubt to protect their huge inflated margins) is just wrong. Farmers do an amazing job and their gripe is with the supermarkets not the end consumer.

    Over the last few years I can honestly say that I have purchased and drank more milk than at anytime before. I am sure overall diary volumes have increased across the country given that it is a relatively inexpensive product for all ages to enjoy. Prices inevitably go up and I have no problem with this. But the hypocrisy that they are doing this for the farmers when they all follow suit within weeks of each other doesn't really leave the consumer with much choice to make their own opinion.

    The big supermarkets operate like a cartel.. all following each other within a small time frame… with their plastic toy gimmicks (parents nightmare), their plastic bag ban (same time - VIC) and now imposing increases on milk/diary - only because the other one has done it and they fear they may be missing out.

  • kyle on 20/03/2019 - 23:27

    My Farmhouse is still $2.20/L

  • Tiggrrrrr on 22/03/2019 - 12:02

    A2 milk is still $4.65 at Aldi.
    $4.80 at Coles/Woolworths.

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