The battle for supermarket customers amid the cost of living crunch continues, with a new survey from giant Coles finding nine out of 10 people had been forced to make changes to their shop.
Coles said a recent survey of more than 4000 customers found 90 per cent claimed to have made choices and changes to reduce their grocery bills.
Young singles in particular, and young and mature couples, had cut back on meats and treats, buying more frozen food, used online shopping to monitor budgets and swiped their loyalty cards to collect points to use on future shops.
About 87 per cent of people surveyed were also actively budgeting by buying more specials, while more than 50 per cent of people were cooking more at home with an increase in batch cooking to freeze and bulking out meals.
Coles revealed the numbers as it announced a new campaign that would see a price reduction for hundreds of products.
From today, the supermarket giant will reduce prices on more than 500 products both in-store and online for at least three months.
Coles claimed the average savings on a basket of groceries would be 19.7 per cent.
“This campaign is all about making it easier for our customers to find value across the store and online,” CEO Leah Weckert said.
“We know cost-of-living continues to be the number one concern for Australians right now so we’re making our biggest investment in value for at least three years.”
Customers will also be encouraged to redeem Flybuys points to knock money off their shop, and will be able to access free click-and-collect when they spend more than $50.
Among the products affected by the campaign will be mince, with more than 25 varieties of beef, pork, and lamb getting a reduction.
A packet of 1kg beef three-star regular mince will be reduced to $11, Coles said – down from $13 at the start of the year.
Frozen meals, tuna, juice, biscuits, pet goods, cleaning and household products are all also set for smaller prices.
Woolworths announced a similar campaign last week, committing to dropping the prices of more than 450 products between August 23 and November 28.
“We know people are looking at every way to save right now and we’re encouraging our customers to spend less with us,” managing director Natalie Davis said.
Woolworth said its focus was on coordinating the price drops on products that worked together – such as lamb and potatoes for a more affordable family roast.
An Aldi spokesperson said their business model was built to withstand inflationary pressures.
“While other supermarkets may commit to price freezes or drops on select ranges of goods for a limited time, our whole range delivers meaningful savings, everyday, that Australians can rely on,” the spokesperson said.
“Further, our Price Promise means that we will not be beaten on the cost of your weekly shop.”
(9 News)