‘Shocked’: Photo of Coles price tag has Aussies up in arms

A snap of an Australian staple on a supermarket shelf has angered, with some declaring they were “shocked” at its price tag.

A snap of an Australian staple on a supermarket shelf has angered, with some declaring they were “shocked” at its price tag.

Paul Karp took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share a picture showing a packet of Tim Tam Original’s that are currently on special at Coles.

The “half price” tag displayed showed the iconic chocolate biscuit on offer for $3, down from $6.

But while it appeared to be a good deal at face value, many Aussies were thrown by its original price, claiming it appeared higher than normal.

“Has anyone ever seen Tim Tams for $6, the purported price before this 50 per cent ‘special’,” Mr Karp, The Guardian’s political correspondent, captioned the image.

Aussies were disbelieving that Tim Tams were sold at $6. Picture: X/Paul Karp

Fellow social media users were quick to weigh in on the issue, with some stating they were be “shocked” to see the sweet treat sold for that much.

“They were $6.20 at Woolies the other day. No thanks,” one person commented.

“Saw them ‘on special’ for $4.80 or some such rubbish the other week. The list price on the ticket was $6. The week before it was $4.50. Like we wouldn’t notice a change from $4 to $6,” another claimed.

One added the product had been at the $6 mark for a while but noted the chocolate biscuits were regularly on sale.

“I’d be shocked if I saw the $6 price tag. That said, you should see the price of Pringles nowadays,” one remarked.

As one lamented: “The entire country would have rioted. So I can say with confidence that they never were sold for $6.”

Coles declined to comment when contacted by news.com.au.

The price complaint comes after an investigation was launched against Coles and Woolworths over allegations the supermarket giants promoted specially-marked products with false discounts, when said price reductions were either misleading or “non-existent”.

The move follows the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) announcing legal action against both grocery giants over alleged breaches in Australian Consumer Law.

The watchdog alleges both retailers misled consumers through discount pricing claims on hundreds of common products between February 2022 and May 2023.

In September, the $6 price tag on a packet of Tim Tams sparked fury, with some going so far as to label the cost “un-Australian”.

“Like most Australian manufacturers, we are experiencing a significant increase in our input costs, including the surging price of cocoa,’ a spokesperson said at the time.

“This has led us to make the difficult decision to increase the price of our Tim Tam biscuits.

“We continue to invest in promotional programs with our retailers year-round, to ensure consumers can buy our products at great value prices.

“The changes are necessary for Arnott’s to remain competitive as an Australian manufacturer and to continue to make the delicious products Australians know and love.”

There was further rage over the cult biscuit when it emerged it is cheaper to buy the iconic item in the UK than here in Australia where it is made.

A similar picture was posted in September. Picture: Reddit.

A picture shared to Reddit revealed that at Waitrose, an up-market UK supermarket, shoppers could pick up a packet of Tim Tam Original and Chewy Caramel for £2 on special — the equivalent of $3.85 here.

In comparison, Coles and Woolworths typically sell a 200g pack of Arnott’s Tim Tam Original for around $6.

Even when it’s full-price at Waitrose, the pack of Tim Tams sell for £2.50, which is about $4.80.

Shopper Adam, who goes by the Price Check Guy online, also spotted the difference and compared the price between Tesco, another UK supermarket, and Woolworths.

Aussies kick off about the price of Tim Tams in the UK. Picture: Reddit/@yobsta

“They’re more expensive to buy in Australia than from Tesco. Maybe they’re made in Europe somewhere,” he asked.

“Nope, they are made in New South Wales.”

However, despite the anger, an Arnott’s spokesperson said on average Aussies have paid less than $4 for the sweet treat.

“Australia’s favourite chocolate biscuit, Tim Tam, is proudly made here in Australia,” an Arnott’s spokesperson told news.com.au earlier this month.

“We invest in promotional programs to ensure consumers can buy them at great value prices year-round.”

“The average price paid by Australian consumers in the past 12 months was $3.15 for Tim Tam Original 200g.”