Iconic Australian product suffers price increase at Coles, Woolies

An iconic Australian product has quietly suffered a major price hike – leaving shoppers raging as yet another grocery item becomes “expensive”.

An iconic Australian product has become the latest victim of the cost of living crisis, leaving consumers raging the classic item is now more expensive than ever.

Golden Gaytime ice cream has suffered a price hike at supermarkets, with a four pack of the cult toffee and vanilla flavoured ice cream sticks currently retailing for $10 in most stores, including Woolworths and Coles.

The price is up almost 18 per cent from 2019, when a multipack cost just $8.49.

Interestingly, a single stick cost $3.40 at supermarkets right before the pandemic hit but now costs as much as $5.

News.com.au understands limited-edition varieties have also been affected, with boxes usually now priced above $12.

Streets, the confectionary company who manufactures Golden Gaytime, told news.com.au there were a number of reasons behind the price hike.

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Golden Gaytime's have gone up by almost 18 per cent in Coles, Woolies. Picture: TikTok/@kaitlinknight

“Food and grocery prices are increasing globally due to many factors, such as material and ingredient inflation, higher energy costs, and rising wages,” a spokesperson said.

“The sale price of our products is at the sole discretion of the retailers.”

However news of the ice cream’s new price hasn’t gone down well with frustrated Aussies after a TikTok user pointed out how “expensive” the grocery item was now.

“I’m sorry but you should not have to sell your first born child in order to afford some Golden Gaytimes,” Kaitlin Knight said in a video, filmed in Coles, recently.

As well as the cult ice cream, she also took aim at the rising price of other staples, including cereal, soft drinks and chips.

“I was really craving these [Coco Pops] but $9 f**king dollars?” she continued.

“These drinks [Kirks] used to be $4.50 at half price, now they’re $10 at 40 per cent off.

“I cannot live laugh in these conditions.”

It’s the latest in a long line of grocery staples that have soared in price. Picture: TikTok/@kaitlinknight

Social media users have been calling out the price hikes. Picture: TikTok/@kaitlinknight

Viewers were quick to agree with Kaitlin, describing the situation as “shocking”.

“Those kirks soft drinks used to be $5.50 full price,” one claimed.

“One single pack of Pringle’s for $6, like are you kidding,” another raged.

As one simply declared: “Daylight robbery.”

“I’m actually at the point of anger when grocery shopping now,” one chipped in.

“I spent $20 on cup noodles, curry powder, carrots and potatoes today,” someone else lamented.

Dishwashing tablets are now selling for around $70. Picture: TikTok/princesspepper76

Many have labelled it ‘highway robbery’. Picture: TikTok/princesspepper76

Golden Gaytime ice creams are the latest in a long line of grocery items that have dramatically increased in price in recent months, leaving Australians reeling.

The staggering cost of dishwashing tablets hit headlines earlier this month after a shopper noticed packets of the detergent were now priced at more than $70 in supermarkets.

A spokesperson for Finish, one of the leading dishwashing brands, told news.com.au the hike was caused by “increased costs across our supply chain”.

“We, like many manufacturers, have been impacted by increased costs across our supply chain and as a result, have had to make the decision to change the pricing on some of our products.

“Please know that we provide our retailers with recommended prices, with the final on-shelf price being set at their discretion.

“We understand this is a challenging time for many Australians. We remain committed to making sure we closely monitor costs and pricing to continue delivering the best value possible.”

Cereal in Australia has also risen in price recently due to soaring production costs. Picture: TikTok

Aussies labelled it an ‘absolute joke’. Picture: TikTok

Other products that have also experienced increases include milk, eggs, chips and even the iconic supermarket mud cake.

Cereal also recently incurred a hefty price adjustment with boxes regularly being priced at the $10 mark, up almost 35 per cent from last year.

Despite Kellogg’s Australia explaining the increase was due to “high food production costs” as well as “the impact of supply chain and inflationary pressures” – consumers weren’t happy.

One shopper was outraged after spotting Kellogg’s Coco Pops were on special in Coles in February, priced at $17.10 for two boxes, saving $1.90 from the regular price of $9.50 each.

“This is a joke right? One average sized box of cereal, or two for $17,” the woman said.

She captioned her video with a series of hashtags, including “costofliving”, “poverty line”, “broke”, “unaffordable” and “help”.

Her shock was shared by many of the 500,000 viewers who watched her clip, who labelled it “crazy” and “ridiculous”.