Supermarket Price Hikes

Windows7forever on 19/06/2021 - 17:31
Last edited 19/06/2021 - 19:04 by 1 other user

Has anybody else noticed that the price of many supermarket goods has increased lately?

I was in Aldi today and was astonished when I noticed the 1kg bag of Milk Powder has gone up from $5.69 to $7, almost a 20% increase!

I spoke to the sales clerk who was empathetic and explained that there has been price hikes recently due to "supply chain disruptions" and the difficulty they are having getting enough stock to satisfy consumer demand. I can believe that explanation to an extent due to COVID etc.

The problem is that once prices go up, they rarely ever go back down. Supermarkets employ all sort of sneaky tactics like silently hiking prices and hoping nobody will notice (we do) and then making a big deal when they drop the price of a different product by a measly 10 - 20 cents to make it look like their prices are super low and create the illusion you are saving money when the price may have been previously artificially inflated.

Any thoughts?

Food & Grocery

Comments

  • follow on 19/06/2021 - 17:34
    +1

    noticed SPC Canned Baked Beans was $1.40, now $1.70

    • BugsBunnyAUS on 19/06/2021 - 20:30
      +1

      Used to be $1.05 every day. Hoping we see regular specials at $1/can now and will bulk buy accordingly. Was $1 last week at Coles.

  • SF3 on 19/06/2021 - 17:40
    +7

    Or same price with new packaging but smaller portion or less weight…

  • TheBird on 19/06/2021 - 17:42
    +1

    Plenty of thoughts, but there's not much point. Plenty of people won't notice or care, so they'll continue to do it.

    It's not necessarily the cost of goods. Sometimes it can be an adjustment (or testing) of a price customers are willing to pay.

    • Windows7forever on 20/06/2021 - 12:12

      I didn't realise Aldi could get away with "tinkering" their prices so "Willy Nilly" and nobody would notice!

      • TheBird on 20/06/2021 - 18:07
        +1

        Yeah, it's how things are. Most belive that shelf prices have a direct relation to cost of goods/cost of operations. The truth of it has more to do with customers and competition. A combination of what price the customer will bear and how it compares to a competitor and maximising projected profits. It's more complex than that, but it's the basics. Of course there are exceptions. When there's a lot of competition, the cost of goods/operations bears a lot of weight to the price to the consumer… take for commodity style products like Flour or Electricity. Less when companies have a high perceived value and a high barrier to competition. Take for Apple and their iPhone or Microsoft and Windows.

  • RobBoss on 19/06/2021 - 17:43
    +10

    Inflation mate, the problem is people’s income don’t go up as much

    • Windows7forever on 20/06/2021 - 12:14

      Food/essentials is going up, housing is going up, but incomes are stagnant. There's going to be a lot of poor, hungry, homeless people in the near future!

  • Numpty21 on 19/06/2021 - 17:46

    3 pack of spaghetti gone from $3 to $4

  • huggsymersh on 19/06/2021 - 17:52

    Aldi often offer significantly cheaper prices for their store brands than competing brands or even competing store brands

    But they are also masters at requiring suppliers to provide smaller sized products than the equivalent branded items at colesworths, which makes you think you're getting a far better deal than you really are.

    • Windows7forever on 20/06/2021 - 12:15
      +1

      True. That's why I always look at the unit pricing. i.e. $ Price for X grams

  • Gervais fanboy on 19/06/2021 - 17:54
    +6

    Just playing the devil’s advocate here

    It is actually true that the cost of importing a shipping container from China and India has nearly tripled in the last 12 months…

    Having said that, they are obviously predicted to come back down once the pandemic blows over…
    But yes there’s no way that supermarket chains would then decrease their product prices back down to play fair…

    • Windows7forever on 20/06/2021 - 12:18

      True, but I also feel that the pandemic creates a perfect opportunity for sellers to artificially restrict supply and raise prices. It's free market capitalism at its best (or worse, depending on whether you are a seller or buyer).

      • Gervais fanboy on 20/06/2021 - 13:01

        Hmm
        Spot on mate but its not capitalism thats the evil..
        Its capitalism fuelled by government and state intervention, picking sides thats whats ruined everything…

        John Stossel, speaks about Capitalism. Covering most of our qualms against it..
        you should check it out

    • Neoika on 19/06/2021 - 23:04

      Click go to previous product: full cream one is $7.49.

  • oscargamer on 19/06/2021 - 18:08
    -6

    Yes. I noticed today that I don't care. Who knew?

    • Windows7forever on 20/06/2021 - 12:19
      +1

      Because you still live with your parents and they pay for all your food/drink?

  • savemore on 19/06/2021 - 18:12
    +1

    Recent experience of supermarket brand of mineral water, Coles/Woolworths increased from $0.75 to $1 (33.3% increase), ALDI increased from $0.69 to $0.95 (37.68% increase). Was told by ALDI that it hasn't increased for about 5 years.

    • Mechz on 19/06/2021 - 18:20

      I don't know what location you're in but it hasn't changed at any of my locals.

    • Geoff-bargain on 23/06/2021 - 11:09

      Yeah I made a post about this not long ago. Time to find alternatives like sodastream etc.

  • Ocker on 19/06/2021 - 18:30

    Get used to it as there are a lot more price increases in the pipeline.
    For domestically produced products the supermarket chains have screwed manufacturers for years and they are now at breaking point.
    Anything imported from overseas, be it materials or completed goods are facing a supply chain tightness that will lead to cost input pressures.
    Will all lead to local inflation and in turn higher wages and then higher prices etc etc.
    Interest rates have bottomed and as I posted several months ago fixed lending rates have only one way to go - this is now being borne out.

  • JimmyF on 19/06/2021 - 18:53
    +2

    I spoke to the sales clerk

    Why? They have no control over the price. Send a message to head office if you really have a issue.

    Has anybody else noticed that the price of many supermarket goods has increased lately?

    It is called inflation. All the money the gov printed last year has other impacts on the economy.

    Get use to price hikes for everything in the next 12 months. Inflation has entered the room!

  • netjock on 19/06/2021 - 19:37

    House prices going up double digits. You need to get a deposit together some how. Ask for a salary increase will feed into cost of all things including consumer staples. No such thing as free money.

    • Windows7forever on 20/06/2021 - 12:22

      Theoretically speaking;
      Rising prices = inflation = higher interest rates = cheaper housing stock.
      But these are uncertain and strange times we live in…

  • StinksGoDown on 19/06/2021 - 20:08

    Inflation, which means mortgage stress will increase soon because interest rates are undoubtedly going up.

    • Windows7forever on 20/06/2021 - 12:23

      Yes, it wil be interesting to see if interest rates go back to levels that we haven't seen for a decade or longer.

  • Neoika on 19/06/2021 - 22:58

    Coles/Woolies 12pk 600g Free Range Eggs dropped from $4.10 to $3.90, probably dropped in Aldi too. I think most people buy 700g packs before the drop.

  • chav on 20/06/2021 - 07:19
    +1

    Don't get me started on Woolys marketing tactic, using special deal pricing labels that show a previous price from 2017 and declare it as a price drop bargin

  • Reggyscum on 20/06/2021 - 09:44
    +2

    Pik's peanut butter went up from like $6.50 to $8 dollars I believe. Mayver's also went up a dollar. I noticed the cheery tomato/baby cucumber punnets increased from $3 to like $4.90. I understand vegetables can be priced according to season; but all those punnets are frozen, you can see the dew coming off them! Then they have the nerve to place a "special" ticket on it claiming to save you 20c.

    • Windows7forever on 20/06/2021 - 12:24

      You're correct, Reggy. The supermarkets are scum!

  • revheadgl on 26/06/2021 - 19:03

    Coles and Woollies, yep, noticed most pantry goods have gone up by 10-20% since Covid. Also the specials are nowhere near as good as they used to be.

    Aldi, not noticed much change. Prefer to shop at Aldi anyway.

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