Sydney, May 19: Almost 8 in 10 Australians believe supermarkets are engaging in price gouging amid ongoing cost-of-living pressures, according to new research from Finder.
A Finder survey of 1,003 respondents found 79 per cent of Australians believe supermarkets are price gouging, while the average household reported spending $207 a week on groceries in April 2026, up from $189 in April 2024.
“The majority of Aussies believe they are being ripped off when they buy their groceries,” Sarah Megginson, personal finance expert at Finder, said.
“It’s an extraordinary level of distrust for an essential service that every household relies on multiple times a week.”
“When people see supermarket profits reported in the hundreds of millions – or even billions – while they’re cutting back on basics because a tub of butter is $7, it creates a perception that something isn’t right,” Megginson said.
In a response to DailyStraits.com, Coles rejected suggestions of price gouging, pointing to rising supply chain costs and findings from multiple inquiries, including the ACCC’s 12-month Supermarkets Inquiry.
“We reject any suggestion of price gouging. Grocery prices are influenced by many factors across the supply chain, including weather, global commodity markets, energy, packaging, freight and supplier input costs,” a Coles spokesperson said.
The response comes just days after the Federal Court found Coles Supermarkets Australia made false or misleading representations about “Down Down” discounts in proceedings brought by the ACCC.
The Court found Coles made misleading representations in 13 of the 14 “Down Down” tickets considered in the liability hearing, with penalties and other orders to be determined at a later date.
Coles said it remained focused on delivering value to shoppers through weekly specials, Flybuys offers, Exclusive to Coles products and everyday value options.
The supermarket giant also addressed concerns around rising retail theft, describing retail crime as “a serious issue” and saying the company continued to work closely with police while investing in security measures including CCTV, electronic article surveillance, security guards and de-escalation training for staff.
Almost two in five Australians surveyed by Finder listed groceries among their top three most stressful household expenses, alongside rent or mortgage repayments, petrol and energy bills.
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