Dishwasher tablets: Expat reveals Australian supermarket rip off
An Australian expat living overseas says Aussies are getting “ripped off” by one particular supermarket item — and the price difference is staggering.
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An Australian expat living overseas has revealed the enormous price difference for one supermarket staple which proves Aussies are getting “ripped off”.
Posting to Reddit, the Germany-based Australian shared an image of a 43-capsule bag of Finish Ultimate Pro Dishwasher Tablets on a German supermarket shelf.
The “extra-extra-large” bag of tablets cost just €8.99 ($14.91 AUD).
It’s a stark contrast to Aussie dishwasher tablets, the sky-high prices of which have gone viral in recent months.
The equivalent 43-tablet bag of Finish Ultimate Pro costs a staggering $54 at both Coles and Woolies — almost quadruple the price of the overseas version.
Even at 50 per cent off, as it currently is at Woolworths, it’s almost double the price seen at this German supermarket.
Earlier this year, a bag of Fairy dishwasher tablets at Woolies cost no less than $72 for 45 capsules.
Redditors were outraged by the price difference.
“The difference in price is staggering. It’s in a long list of overpriced things in Australia, because someone here is willing to pay for it,” one user commented.
Many warned against buying dishwasher tablets at the major supermarkets — or even suggested foregoing tablets altogether.
“Tablets are a scam. That’s over $1 per load whereas powder is about 3c per load and you can regulate how much powder you need and reduce for half loads,” one wrote.
“You don’t buy these from Woolies or Coles. Go to the reject shop or even Aldi or you are paying too much,” another said.
“A pack of 50 is $20 at The Reject Shop. Being in Australia isn’t what is ripping us off, it’s the corporate greed of Coles and Woolworths.”
“If you want to buy tablets, skip the supermarkets and grab them at Bunnings where they are much cheaper,” recommended a third.
Some savvy shoppers also suggested making your own dishwasher tablets with just a few pantry staples.
Not limiting the discussion to dishwasher tablets, some Redditors pointed to other staples for which Aussies are paying more.
“Currently in Europe and can’t believe the beers you can get for €1 - 2 [$1.66 - $3.32] per can. Stretching the budget to €3 [$4.98] opens up some more options!” one user shared.
“My eye-opener was seeing fresh Australian diced Angus beef, low-fat beef mince, and well marbled steaks in random, Aldi-style supermarkets … across the Middle East, all of significantly better quality than what we get at ‘Colesworth’ and cheaper too,” another traveller added.
“Yep … just did a shop in KL [Kuala Lumpur] at a pretty up-market supermarket. Lots of our products. Much cheaper here,” someone else shared.
Their stories aren’t just anecdotal. The surging cost of dishwasher tablets comes as the price of other staples like cereal, milk, eggs and bread also shot up.
Even as Aussies cut back on their spending, Woolworths posted a 25 per cent profit increase in the six months to December, while Coles recorded a rise of 11 per cent.
Woolies chief executive Brad Banducci noted customers were switching to cheaper “home brand” groceries and canned food to withstand the soaring cost of fresh food.
“Inflation is continuing to affect the way that customers shop but the overall impact on our business at this stage remains modest,” he said previously on an investor call.
“Inflation is coming down but not as quickly as we would like. We remain very focused on ensuring that customers can get their money’s worth through our various programs of prices drops, low-price specials, personalised offers and range curation.”
Originally published as Dishwasher tablets: Expat reveals Australian supermarket rip off
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