Which SA supermarket store costs the most and least

We’ve crunched the numbers and calculated just how big a bite the different South Australian supermarket stores are taking out of your budget. See where you could save at the checkout.

Supermarket prices have surged by up to 22 per cent since last year, an investigation by The Advertiser shows, adding more than $2000 to a typical family’s annual grocery bill.

The increases are far greater than those captured in the most recent official inflation data, revealing for the first time the full extent of the financial pressure households are under in the aisles.

While prices are soaring at every major supermarket chain and at all price points, arguably the most concerning finding is that some of the biggest jumps have been in the most basic options.

The Advertiser’s results indicate supermarket prices are rising at more than twice the speed of the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ consumer price index, which increased 5.1 per cent nationally in the year to the end of March.

Jay Syse, 34, and Jesse Stapenell, 34, with their shopping in Rundle Mall. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

The bureau says Adelaide’s CPI rose by 4.7 per cent; food and non-alcoholic drinks were up by even less. The average weekly supermarket bill for a family of four was $187 in 2021, Canstar Blue says. The Advertiser’s price comparison suggests this has since risen by about $41.14 a week – or 22 per cent – adding $2139 to annual costs.

Woolworths-branded and budget baskets were up 22 per cent. Coles-branded baskets rose 20 per cent and its budget basket was up 13 per cent.

Aldi’s brand basket was up 19.5 per cent and its budget basket was up 16.6 per cent.

On top of this, many households’ electricity bills will rise by at least $20 a week, while it costs an extra $26.15 to fill up a tank of petrol.

Customers shop for fresh fruit and vegetables. Picture: Nikki Short

And monthly repayments on a $500,000 mortgage will rise by $133, after this week’s rate hike.

Yet for many households, the No.1 source of budgeting pain is supermarket shopping, a survey by One Big Switch has found.

“Grocery bills are now causing families real grief,” One Big Switch spokesman Joel Gibson said.

Supermarket comparison service Frugl’s chief executive Sean Smith said producers were no longer able to absorb cost increases.

One Big Switch spokesman Joel Gibson. Picture: Tim Hunter

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had sent fuel prices skyrocketing. The two countries were also major producers of wheat and vegetable oils. Even the cost of the metal for cans had soared, Mr Smith said.

Labour was still in short supply following lengthy border closures, he said, and key parts of China remained in lockdown.

“The cost of production at every level has gone up,” Mr Smith said.

In response to questions from The Advertiser, Aldi provided its recent “Price Report”, which said: “We will maintain our price gap, even if prices on individual items do go up.”

A Coles spokeswoman said it had reduced prices on more than 2000 of its 20,000 items but “a number of factors (are) driving inflation for all retailers, including increases in the cost of raw materials, energy price rises and freight costs”.

Shoppers Jay Syso and Jessie Stapenell, both 34, said they had noticed a substantial increase in their grocery bill. They are yet to adjust their buying behaviours but are preparing to make changes.

“There is no extra money,” Mr Syso said.

Originally published as Which SA supermarket store costs the most and least