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Best time of week to shop for groceries, revealed

Food prices are soaring, but changing the time of week you shop is a simple way to cut costs. Here are the days and times that see the most items on special.

Increased costs to place more ‘strain’ on household budgets

The cost of living is on the rise, and grocery bills are where most Australians have been hardest hit.

Prices are rising at the fastest rate in more than two decades, driven primarily by rising costs of food and petrol, according to data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics last month. The price of fruit and vegetables rose by 5.8 per cent last quarter, and bread and cereal by 3.1 per cent — both well above the broader rise in the consumer price index at 1.8 per cent.

With prices skyrocketing in every aisle of the supermarket, consumers may struggle to balance their budgets without skimping on essential items. One way to make expenses more manageable is simply to change the timing of your weekly grocery shop.

“Wednesdays are the best day to shop because this is when the promotional cycle begins, meaning reduced products are in the biggest supply,” explains Sean Smith, CEO of grocery app Frugl, which compares prices and promotions across supermarkets.

“If you’re looking for the absolute best time to shop, 5pm is when major supermarkets reduce perishable items to a ‘quick sale’ as their expiry date is fast approaching. For non-perishable items, try to shop before 4pm when the afternoon rush begins.”

Other ways to save on groceries include shopping for non-perishables in bulk, buying and freezing bulk quantities of meat, and paying attention to which fresh produce is in season, Mr Smith added.

The price of fruit and vegetables rose by 5.8 per cent last quarter, well above the broader price rise of 1.8 per cent. Picture: NCA Newswire/Gaye Gerard.
The price of fruit and vegetables rose by 5.8 per cent last quarter, well above the broader price rise of 1.8 per cent. Picture: NCA Newswire/Gaye Gerard.

Half Price, a grocery app that catalogues half price specials across major Australian supermarkets, updates its data each Wednesday morning in line with the promotional cycle, its founder Daniel Williamson said.

“Wednesday is the day when most of our users log on to check the deals and do their shop,” Mr Williamson said. “Many of the specials are only while stocks last, so it pays to get to the store early.”

Grocery savings apps have typically been used by middle aged Australians, but that demographic is changing as the cost of living rises, Mr Williamson claimed.

“When we started, we mostly saw people in their 40s and 50s, but that’s now down to people in their 20s and 30s,” he said.

Aldi has historically been the cheapest supermarket in Australia, though the chain typically stocks fewer Australian-made products than Coles and Woolworths. Minor price discrepancies between Coles and Woolworths typically come down to the weekly specials on offer.

“Consumers often want to use Australian name brands,” Mr Williamson said. “We see a lot of cereal brands that are based in Australia or have a lot of factories in Australia. Those are really popular when they’re on special, and people’s buying habits reflect that.

“In the Frugl app, we include the country of origin on every product where that information is available,” Mr Smith added. “Shoppers can still look for specials but do a quick check to see if products are Australian-made, or made overseas.”

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Original URL: https://www.couriermail.com.au/lifestyle/smart/best-time-of-week-to-shop-for-groceries-revealed/news-story/d8924848f123b4f2bb04e342e321b2c3