According to a survey carried out in the United States in 2025, ** percent of respondents aged 55 and older stated that they experience higher prices when buying dairy products at the grocery store. For those aged between 18 and 34, ** percent stated experiencing a price hike in those typed of products.

According to a survey conducted in Canada in 2023, close to 52 percent of respondents from Nova Scotia believed grocery chain price gouging to be the main reason food prices have been rising in Canada. Conversely, close to 22 percent of those from Quebec believed the same.

Coles and Woolworths’ high market share has raised the risk of exploitative business practices. AU profit compared with UK and US data paints the most accurate picture.

In 2023, the value of grocery retail sales from supermarkets in Australia exceeded *** billion Australian dollars. This marked an increase from the previous year, in which grocery retail sales were valued at just shy of *** billion Australian dollars. Which supermarkets dominate Australia’s grocery landscape? Australia’s supermarket and grocery sector is highly concentrated, with the top four companies, Woolworths, Coles, German company Aldi, and IGA (Metcash) holding over ** percent of the country’s grocery retailer market share. The top two supermarkets, Woolworths and Coles, have extensive retail networks across the country, with around ***** stores in the Woolworths network as of May 2025, including Woolworths Supermarkets, Ampol Woolworths, and EG Ampol locations. Inquiry into Australia’s grocery sector Going into 2024, the price of groceries was one of the most pressing financial issues for many Australian households, with almost ** percent of consumers surveyed in April 2024 saying they felt grocery prices had increased compared to the previous year. Only ** percent of Australian consumers indicated in the same survey that, in their view, grocery products were priced fairly by supermarkets. Following price gouging allegations against major supermarket chains in the country, including Australia’s supermarket duopoly, Woolworths and Coles, the Australian Consumer Competition Commission (ACCC) launched its inquiry into the country’s grocery retail sector in January 2024. The inquiry endeavors to highlight key issues across the supermarket sector and introduce improved regulatory framework and pricing mechanisms, enabling better market access for smaller grocery retailers and discounters, as well as improving customer, supply chain contributor, and farmer satisfaction.

In the year to March 2025, price increases were recorded across all grocery product categories in Australia, except for dairy and related products. Fruit and vegetables saw an annual increase of 6.6 percent. Meat and seafood products saw an annual growth of above four percent.

Discover the effects of U.S. tariffs on Asian supermarkets, impacting prices of popular imported goods and affecting loyal customers.

Conagra Brands, facing tariff-induced cost pressures on ingredients, may raise prices to protect margins, while exploring productivity improvements and alternative supply sources.

Supermarket giant Woolworths Group had the highest presence across Australia’s leading supermarket and convenience store chains as of May 2025, with around ***** locations across its network, including Woolworths Supermarkets, Ampol Woolworths, and EG Ampol locations. Its grocery retail rival, Coles Group, came in second, with over ***** locations nationwide, encompassing Coles Supermarkets and Coles Express. American convenience store chain 7-Eleven also makes its mark, with an extensive number of stores in Australia. European supermarkets, Aldi and Spar, have also expanded their networks over the past two decades, slowly eating away at Woolworths, Coles, and Metcash’s grocery retail market share. ACCC investigates Australia’s grocery retail market Australia’s supermarket scene is oligopolistic; the top four companies, Woolworths, Coles, Metcash (IGA), and Aldi, control over ** percent of the country’s grocery retail market share, with around ** percent held by Woolworths and Coles alone. In 2024, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) began its inquiry into the country’s supermarket sector to review pricing and competitive practices following price gouging allegations against Australia’s leading grocery retailers. Alongside the ACCC investigation, consumer advocacy group CHOICE started to create government-funded price transparency and comparison reports, such as average grocery basket price evaluations, to deliver in-depth insights to customers to help them save money amid excessive price increases. In March 2025, the ACCC's review concluded, with its key recommendations encompassing publishing requirements for major supermarkets regarding pricing, promotions, shrinkflation, and loyalty program benefits to offer more transparency to consumers, as well as curb misleading promotional tactics. Nonetheless, the ACCC’s findings were inconclusive on whether price gouging was taking place and noted that profitability was not prohibited. How have Australia’s consumers responded to grocery price inflation? According to a 2024 survey, around ** percent of Australian consumers perceive the pricing of groceries and related products as unfair, with almost ***** in ** expressing that they felt these products had continued to become costlier since 2023. Convenience, familiarity with a particular store’s layout, and collecting reward points were the key reasons to shop exclusively at a supermarket chain among Australian consumers in a recent survey. Nonetheless, as grocery costs across the country climb, several consumers' grocery retailer loyalties are being tested. Consumers increasingly shop across various stores or switch to cheaper brands to save money and take advantage of price promotions.

Super unleaded fuel from supermarkets has sold for around *** pence less than the UK average. In September 2022, prices for super unleaded amounted to ***** pence per liter at supermarkets, compared with ***** pence per liter for the UK average. The price hike noted for 2022 reflects growing energy costs and rising inflation.