Woolworths freezes price of hundreds of grocery items to help struggling Aussies

Woolworths has announced it will freeze the prices on “trolleys’ worth of meaningful essentials” until the end of this year amid Australia’s rising cost of living crisis.

For the first time, Woolworths has announced it will freeze the prices on “trolleys’ worth of meaningful essentials” until the end of 2022, as the cost of basic goods and amenities like petrol and fresh produce continue to soar.

In an email to be sent to consumers tomorrow, the supermarket giant’s CEO Brad Banducci addressed the rising cost of living crisis facing Australians.

“The challenges we’ve worked through together in the last two plus years have been unparalleled – from droughts and fires to Covid, floods and supply shortages and now inflation and the pressure on households budgets,” Mr Banducci wrote.

“As we all lean into the challenges of inflation, rest assured the whole team at Woolworths is committed to making sure you can always Get your Woolies worth.”

The prize freezing “means despite ongoing inflation challenges and pressures, Woolworths is committing that the prices on these essential trolley items bought regularly by Australian families will remain at the same price as they are today”.

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Woolworths has announced it will freeze the prices on “trolleys’ worth of meaningful essentials” until the end of 2022. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Nikki Short

According to the Consumer Price Index, between the 2021 and 2022 March Quarter, the cost of food and non-alcoholic beverages have increased by 4.3 per cent alone. The most significant rise was in the cost of fuel, which went up by 11 per cent.

In terms of groceries, the CPI found that the cost of fruits and vegetables grew by 6.7 per cent in the last year, while meat and seafoods increased by 6.2 per cent. Bread and cereal products also increased by 3 per cent, dairy and dairy-related products by 4.1 per cent and food products by 4.2 per cent.

Closely related, the cost of non-durable household products like toilet paper, dishwashing soap and light bulbs rose by a massive 8 per cent year-on-year.

Like rising gas and electricity costs, a perfect storm of factors has also caused food prices to soar. Contributing to about 25 per cent of the world’s wheat supply, Ukraine, Ukrainian war has devastated its output. Failed harvests in India have also seen the country implement an export ban.

Recent weeks have seen dozens of Australians take to social media to malign the soaring price of their grocery bill.

The Consumer Price Index found the cost of fruit and vegetables grew by 6.7 per cent in the last year.

The skyrocketing cost of fertiliser due to supply chain issues in China could also cause more problems for future seasons, with smaller yields a big concern.

Recent weeks have seen dozens of Australians take to social media to malign the rising grocery prices, declaring that they’re feeling the pinch alongside photos of their supermarket receipts and the cost of certain fruit and veg at their local shops.

Woolworths’ move will apply to own brand products including pantry essentials (like flour, sugar, eggs, canned tomatoes, coffee and tea), meal essentials (like pasta, frozen peas, cheese blocks, bread rolls and bacon), baby essentials (nappies and food pouches), and household essentials (like laundry powder, garbage bags and dishwashing liquid).

Customers can find the full list of price freeze products here.

The items join an existing 300 “Winter essentials” that have had their price tags dropped.

Woolies’ move applies to own brand products ranging from pantry and meal essentials to household and baby. Picture: Supplied

The items join an existing 300 “Winter essentials” that have had their price tags dropped. Picture: Supplied

It comes after Coles announced its own solution to the cost of living crunch this morning, giving customers 10 per cent off select Coles MasterCard gift cards.

From Wednesday for one week only, Coles is offering 10 per cent off the total transaction price for $100 and $250 gift cards, though there is an added purchase fee.

The majority of consumers (58 per cent) use the gift cards on their weekly grocery shop, followed by utilities and service bills.

Coles non-food general manager Jonathan Torr said the offer is about helping Australians deal with the current cost of living crisis.

“We understand many Australians are feeling the pinch with rising cost of living pressures and we’re always looking at ways we can provide the very best value at Coles to help make a difference,” he said.

“The 10 per cent off selected Coles MasterCards will provide some temporary relief on everyday expenses, as the gift cards can be used on anything from the weekly shop to paying the household bills – it can even be used to maximise savings at other retailers during end-of-financial-year sales.”

Originally published as Woolworths freezes price of hundreds of grocery items to help struggling Aussies