Customers have once again crowned Aldi as Australia’s favourite supermarket, even as the cost of the weekly shop around the country continues to rise.
Canstar Blue said a survey of customers gave Aldi the “Most Satisfied Customer Award for Supermarkets” after the major chains were rated across a series of categories.
But a huge range of shoppers are splitting their grocery bill between supermarkets and specialist shops like butchers, in an effort to find the best products for the best value.
It’s the eighth consecutive time Aldi has netted the award, and the 13th overall, with customers giving it a five-star rating for overall satisfaction, value for money, product freshness, store and website presentation, and own-brand quality.
Meanwhile, IGA scored five stars for customer service and checkout experience, and Woolworths received top marks for its product range.
However, Aussies around the country are paying increasing amounts at the checkout, with the average weekly spend on groceries for a household of four hitting $240, up 11 per cent from $216 last year, and a $50-plus leap from $187 in the not-so-distant year of 2021.
The leap in the past 12 months is the biggest annual increase Canstar Blue registered in the past five years.
The same average household thus spends $12,480 on groceries a year, up almost $3000 from the 2021 total of $9274.
As people seek the most from their money, shopping around between supermarkets has become an increasingly common practice, with 61 per cent of shoppers saying they visited two or more supermarkets each week.
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And outside of that, 41 per cent said they visited specialty stores like grocers and butchers, largely because they thought the products on offer were better quality.
More than 80 per cent of respondents said they had changed their shopping habits in the past year to try to keep costs down, including spending more time checking item prices, buying in bulk, buying marked-down products near their expiry date, sticking with seasonal fruit and vegetables, dropping treats like chocolate, and opting for frozen veggies over fresh.
“Consistently low prices are overwhelmingly what Australians want from their supermarket, far more than convenience, variety, or even rewards,” Canstar Blue spokesperson Eden Radfors said.
“Every move, no matter how small, can make a difference, particularly when the average weekly spend for a household of four at the supermarket has climbed 11 per cent from the previous year to hit $240. That’s a big jump for a non-negotiable purchase.”
