Penny-pinching supermarket shoppers switching in droves

Date November 2, 2015 - 4:30PM  The trolley wars heat up

The closer an Aldi store to a Coles - the cheaper the prices are getting. With Lidl also attempting to enter the market, expect competition to get fiercer and prices to get lower.
    
Half of Australia thinks it can get cheaper groceries by switching supermarkets, and about one in four of us have already switched.

Figures from consumer research firm Canstar Blue give the shopper's perspective of the war being waged for our grocery dollars. They show we are floozies for the right price, but too lazy to travel very far looking for it.
Canstar Blue editor Simon Downes said the customer churn was largely – but not exclusively – because of cut-price grocery store ALDI and it's disruption of the longstanding dominance of Coles and Woolworths.


"The ALDI effect on supermarket shopping has been huge," he said. "If all your friends are talking about something, eventually you'll want to try it for yourself.

"ALDI has helped trigger the big supermarket merry-go-round, but it's not all about that particular chain. ALDI has made consumers more price-conscious and determined to save money at the checkout, even if they don't actually shop there. Customers of all supermarket chains are hopping around between stores, trying to work out what does and doesn't work for them."

The survey of 3000 shoppers conducted by market research firm Colmar Brunton found NSW and Victoria led the country on a range of measures, including:
26 per cent (NSW) and 24 per cent (Vic) said they were already shopping at a new chain. Nationally, the figure was 23 per cent;
55 per cent (NSW) and 54 per cent (Vic) said they could probably save money by shopping at another chain, compared to 50 per cent nationwide.

And, in a note to the Coles' and Woolworths' marketing departments, who have thrown huge dollars at the likes of Curtis Stone and Jamie Oliver to sell their brands, 0 per cent of people who changed nationwide did so because of celebrity chef endorsements. Just 2 per cent changed because of TV advertising.
About 72 per cent of Australians said they always shopped at the same store, but loyalty was usually a matter of convenience. About one-in-three said they had stayed with their supermarket because the place they shopped was close to their home.


Mr Downes said these people were "happy to pay the lazy tax" in exchange for convenience.

"For some people, it doesn't matter how many big promotions and reward incentives you throw at them, all they want is a supermarket that's close to home and has ample parking space," he said.

"These are the people who switch to auto-pilot when they walk through the supermarket entrance and blindly throw their favourite products into their shopping trolley without giving much thought to the cost. Then a few days later they wonder where their money's gone.

"But as ALDI continues to expand across the country, I'd expect even more consumers to become more price-conscious and consider their options. That doesn't necessarily mean they will switch, but at least become a bit more savvy about their shopping."​

bogarde73 wrote on Nov 3^rd, 2015 at 9:22am:

About 72 per cent of Australians said they always shopped at the same store, but loyalty was usually a matter of convenience. About one-in-three said they had stayed with their supermarket because the place they shopped was close to their home. Mr Downes said these people were "happy to pay the lazy tax" in exchange for convenience. "For some people, it doesn't matter how many big promotions and reward incentives you throw at them, all they want is a supermarket that's close to home and has ample parking space," he said.

This. I shop at Woolworths because I can walk there in less than 5 mins. That's the only reason

Woolworths and coles are pretty bloody cheap already.  If something is not on special at one on anh given week, theres a good chance its on special at the other.

I'm not always a penny pincher, but I can be, especially at the supermarket.

I consider Aldi the cheapest with the best quality products.....at the moment.

Coles specials are great, some at 50% off.....always worth checking out, but don't be hoodwinked into doing your whole shop there, you'll be getting robbed.

Woolworths are crap.

Please open more Aldi supermarkets.   [smiley=thumbsup.gif]   

Agreed Aldi are great. Meat it not fatty and just right too. Salmon is great. Great specials. Great savings.

Well said He Man, and its good competition for the other expensive supermarkets.   :)    

There's nothing wrong with shopping around for the best deal.

I don't shop at Aldi often because it is inconvenient for me.  Last time I was there I did notice that they had 'cleaned up' the look of their fruit and vegies though.

They almost looked worth buying   ;D

Honky are you serious, if you are for real in your comment that Coles and Woolies are cheap already, then it is obvious you haven't stepped inside an Aldi. You are most probably paying about 5K a year too much depending on the size of your family.

Here's a hint, step out of your comfort zone. ;)

Black Orchid wrote on Nov 4^th, 2015 at 4:11pm:

I don't shop at Aldi often because it is inconvenient for me.  Last time I was there I did notice that they had 'cleaned up' the look of their fruit and vegies though. They almost looked worth buying   ;D

Don't tell me they straightened the bananas and polished the apples for the born to rule brigade.

Ex Dame Pansi wrote on Nov 4^th, 2015 at 5:16pm:

Black Orchid wrote on Nov 4th, 2015 at 4:11pm: I don't shop at Aldi often because it is inconvenient for me.  Last time I was there I did notice that they had 'cleaned up' the look of their fruit and vegies though. They almost looked worth buying   ;D Don't tell me they straightened the bananas and polished the apples for the born to rule brigade.

Do you need to belong to the "born to rule" brigade to want to purchase fresh fruit and vegies?

Up until recently the fruit and vegies at Aldi were 4th rate, old and bruised.  You may be happy with that but I expect more for my money.  Good luck to you though.

Thankfully the freshness and condition of their 'fresh' produce has recently greatly improved.

Black Orchid wrote on Nov 4^th, 2015 at 5:21pm:

Ex Dame Pansi wrote on Nov 4th, 2015 at 5:16pm: Black Orchid wrote on Nov 4th, 2015 at 4:11pm: I don't shop at Aldi often because it is inconvenient for me.  Last time I was there I did notice that they had 'cleaned up' the look of their fruit and vegies though. They almost looked worth buying   ;D Don't tell me they straightened the bananas and polished the apples for the born to rule brigade. Do you need to belong to the "born to rule" brigade to want to purchase fresh fruit and vegies? Up until recently the fruit and vegies at Aldi were 4th rate, old and bruised.  You may be happy with that but I expect more for my money.  Good luck to you though. Thankfully the freshness and condition of their 'fresh' produce has recently greatly improved.

Supermarket fruit and veges are not fresh, they come out of cold storage.

Try the fresh produce markets for fresh.

Fresh as in ...

Green broccoli ... not yellow.

Yellow bananas ...  not black.

Firm cucumbers ... not weepy.

Sheesh!  What's your problem old girl?  Take a chill pill ... or two   ;)

red baron wrote on Nov 4^th, 2015 at 5:14pm:

Honky are you serious, if you are for real in your comment that Coles and Woolies are cheap already, then it is obvious you haven't stepped inside an Aldi. You are most probably paying about 5K a year too much depending on the size of your family. Here's a hint, step out of your comfort zone. ;)

There is no aldi in WA.  I'm not gonna drive the Nullarbor to buy some cheap, crappy food. 

I wouldn't buy meat or greens from a supermarket no matter how cheap it was.  Don't fool yourself that it's quality you're buying.

... wrote on Nov 3^rd, 2015 at 10:09am:

Woolworths and coles are pretty bloody cheap already.  If something is not on special at one on anh given week, theres a good chance its on special at the other.

rubbish ... our food costs less overseas than it does here ... and we grow it and ship it to them.  :D :D

Ex Dame Pansi wrote on Nov 4^th, 2015 at 5:16pm:

Black Orchid wrote on Nov 4th, 2015 at 4:11pm: I don't shop at Aldi often because it is inconvenient for me.  Last time I was there I did notice that they had 'cleaned up' the look of their fruit and vegies though. They almost looked worth buying   ;D Don't tell me they straightened the bananas and polished the apples for the born to rule brigade.

If I have a choice, I usually pick the mis-shapen fruit and veges over the polished straight stuff ... it somehow looks more natural to me.

Aldis is not that good.

I bought a bag of sugar & it was so damp with moisture that the sugar didn't pour out -
I have to spoon it out.

There was only one person serving & a huge queue of people.
You have to wait forever to get served.

The variety wasn't there - basically nothing I wanted to buy.

Their electronic products are dubious.

Their quality of some meat & veges is OK if you know
about it & have had it before.
You need to go there a lot & try many items first -
to know what is worth buying.

For me - Coles has everything & although it's expensive - you only live once.

And they're german.