‘Shocking’ supermarket photo highlights Aussie inflation struggle

Coles is offering a grocery staple at a “special” price that has highlighted just how badly some Australians are struggling with rising costs.

A Coles “special” deal offering two bags of potato chips at a “shocking” price has highlighted the toll inflation is having on households as food prices continue to soar.

The Australian supermarket giant is currently selling two bags of the popular snack for $11 – but the promotion has fallen flat with shoppers who have labelled the price “a joke”.

Potato chip prices have skyrocketed in recent months due to low crop numbers and rising production costs.

But while UBS, which collated data tracked from over 60,000 items at Australian’s biggest supermarkets Coles, Woolworths and Aldi, has discovered prices of dry food items have risen by 9.4 per cent in the last 12 months – the cost of chips has soared by as much as 40 per cent.

The price jump as left many Australians “shocked”, with many taking to social media to air their disappointment about the chips, which just a few years ago retailed for around $3 for the same 165g bags.

A current Coles promotion has left shoppers reeling. Picture: TikTok/Letisha Malakooti

Two packets of chips are on sale for $11 which has been labelled ‘messed up’. Picture: TikTok/Letisha Malakooti

“Literally shocked, I asked the guy at Coles six times if this was right,” Melbourne woman Letisha Malakooti shared in a recent video.

“Two packets of chips for $11, I thought ‘maybe it’s wrong’, but the next one is two packets of chips for $11 too.

“Since when? What happened to the dollar thirty five packets?

“Anyway, I spoked to him and it’s not wrong, that is the price. I seriously think Coles has messed up.”

Letisha went on to ask if anyone could explain “what is going on here”, which prompted many TikTok users to share their own fury at the current financial situation in the comments section.

“Yeah I nearly had a heart attack really when Woolies wanted over $6 for Kettle chips,” one remarked.

“I hear you, it’s ridiculous! I’ve seen another packet for $10, it’s a joke,” someone else agreed.

As one raged: “WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING IN AUS?”

“Yeah it’s insane the chips are so expensive,” one commented.

The price can be as high as $7.20 when not on promotion. Picture: Reddit

Woolworths explained in January that “poor growing conditions” had resulted in not enough potatoes being produced to meet demand, which had caused prices to spike.

Snack Brands Australia CEO Paul Musgrave, who oversees brands like Cheezels, Kettle, CC’s and Thins, revealed rising manufacturing costs had pushed up the prices of some of the nation’s favourite snacks.

“Because gas prices are going up – and they’re a really significant price rise – but they’re not the only cost pressure business,” Mr Musgrave said in November.

“So we’re going to have to take a price rise early in the new year to cover the cost of gas and also the agricultural products that we buy – like corn and potatoes – because all those things have skyrocketed as well.

“(The rise is) going to look somewhere like 30 to 50 cents a bag of potato chips.”

News.com.au has contacted Coles for further comment.

Meanwhile a Woolworths spokesperson said it was currently selling a 165g bag of Kettle chips $3.60 as part of its own special deals promotions.

“Value is more important to our customers than ever and that’s why we over around 6,000 specials every week,” the spokesperson said.

“Right now, a range of Kettle chips are on special for $3.60 – which we know will come in handy for long weekend entertaining.”

A similar deal on Red Rock Deli chips last month also sparked outrage. Picture: Reddit

It’s not the first time a disgruntled customer has taken aim at the supermarkets for the current price of potato chips, with Reddit users tackling the subject in a fiery thread last month.

“Didn’t know eating crisps in Aus would be a luxury,” one user commented on a photo showing Red Rock Deli chips were on sale, priced at two for $10.

“Why do people buy chips anymore? They are so expensive and the bags are smaller than ever before (not the bag size, but the contents),” another added.

As another sarcastically said: “What a deal.”

In a separate Reddit thread, one photo showed a packet of Doritos ‘party size’ priced at $8.50, which asked: “Who the hell can even afford this?”

One commented, agreeing the costs were “too high” for them to justify buying.

“It feels a lot easier to walk away when the price is this high,” another agreed.