Groceries rise by 7% across Australian supermarket chains, Choice finds
Australian grocery prices rose by an average of 7% between March and June 2026, according to a new survey by the consumer advocacy group Choice. The study found that strawberries were the primary driver of the increase, accounting for roughly half of the total price hike across major supermarket chains. While IGA recorded the highest price increase at 11%, Aldi remained the most affordable option for both standard and healthy grocery baskets.
- ▪The average cost of a basket of eight common grocery items increased from $40.83 to $43.62 across Coles, Woolworths, Aldi, and IGA.
- ▪Strawberry prices surged by 37% during the survey period, contributing significantly to the overall rise in grocery costs.
- ▪IGA experienced the largest price increase at 11%, while Woolworths recorded the smallest rise at 2%.
- ▪Aldi maintained the lowest average prices for both the standard basket and a separate 'spotlight basket' of healthy items.
- ▪The survey was conducted by mystery shoppers at 104 stores just before the Reserve Bank of Australia was expected to announce another interest rate hike.
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| Canonical URL | https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/sep/24/groceries-rise-by-7-across-australian-supermarket-chains-choice-finds |
| Publication time | Wed, 23 Sep 2026 15:01:51 GMT |
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Aldi saw the smallest increase in a basket of common items such as apples, mince and rice. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty ImagesView image in fullscreenAldi saw the smallest increase in a basket of common items such as apples, mince and rice. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty ImagesConsumer affairsGroceries rise by 7% across Australian supermarket chains, Choice findsThe price of a basket of items in Coles, Woolworths, IGA and Aldi increased to an average of $43.62, survey says Get our new political email, free app or daily news podcast Catie McLeod Consumer affairs reporterWed 23 Sep 2026 11.01 EDTLast modified on Wed 23 Sep 2026 11.03 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleGroceries have become more expensive at all four of Australia’s major supermarket chains, with the average price of a basket…
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