Coles, Woolworths, Aldi lose supermarket satisfaction survey to local grocers

Coles, Aldi and Woolworths have all recorded a surprising result in the latest Aussie supermarket satisfaction survey.

The big three of the Australian supermarket chains have lost out to smaller grocers in the battle for customer satisfaction.

Coles, Woolworths and Aldi all finished behind local supermarket brands in the latest CHOICE supermarket satisfaction survey.

State brands Foodland (South Australia), Drakes (South Australia and Queensland), and Harris Farm (NSW) topped the big chain supermarkets for the most satisfied customers.

Aldi ranked the highest of the big three with 75 per cent, behind Foodland with 82 per cent, Drakes 79 per cent and Harris Farm on 78 per cent.

Warehouse giant Costco came in equal fourth with 75 per cent, ahead of IGA with 74 per cent, while FoodWorks had a rating of 72 per cent, Woolworths 71 per cent and Coles 69 per cent.

Friendly Grocer round out the top 10 with a ranking of 67 per cent.

A woman enters the Woolworths Metro supermarket at Bondi Beach. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

But it was not all bad news for Coles and Woolworths, with Australia’s market leaders improving from CHOICE’s previous survey and garnering praise for their online shopping experiences.

CHOICE consumer advocate Jonathan Brown said the survey found Australians have a lot of pride in local brands and food.

“The results are clear – Australians want to see a wide range to choose from and fresh, local food,” he said.

Foodland took out the top customer satisfaction rating: Picture: Brenton Edwards

“It’s also great to see that all the major supermarket brands have largely improved since our last survey, despite all of the challenges of COVID-19.”

CHOICE surveyed Australia’s most discerning shoppers during February and March with more than 3100 members of the their community giving detailed feedback on their supermarket experiences across 39 criteria either in-store or online.

Foodland, Drakes and Harris Farm Markets performed particularly well for their range of products and the availability of local foods, with shoppers keen to support their local producers.

Woolworths took the crown for online shopping over Coles, scoring 74 per cent for online shopping satisfaction compared to 71 per cent for Coles.

About 88 per cent of respondents said they would recommend Woolworths online to their friends compared with 82 per cent for Coles.

Mr Brown said customers were impressed by the level of detail and their customer service online.

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