The ACCC has found that younger Australians and lower income households are spending up to a quarter of their net income on groceries.
Over 13,000 consumers have responded to a survey, which is part of the ACCC’s Supermarket Inquiry, with results showing that households are spending more time shopping for savings, substituting fresh food with frozen, and cutting back on non-essential items to save on their grocery bill.
There are also reports that people are skipping or sacrificing meals in order to feed children properly.
Mick Keogh, Deputy Chair of the ACCC, said survey responses give a very important insight into consumers’ everyday experience of the sector that will complement the investigation into the pricing practices of supermarkets.
“Taking into account the demographics of those who have already responded, we particularly want to hear from more adults under the age of 30, people for whom English is not their first language, and people in rural and regional parts of Australia.
“Having responses that reflect the whole community’s experience will help us to identify the right issues that need to be explored more deeply in our inquiry. Findings from the consumer survey will be included as part of the ACCC’s interim report, due by the end of August.”
The survey results will inform the ACCC’s assessment of competitive dynamics in the sector and help to identify issues for further exploration as part of the Supermarkets Inquiry.
“A clear theme in the survey responses so far is that consumers consider the price of groceries to be a major factor in the cost-of-living crisis.
“Grocery shopping is an essential in everyone’s life, and we strongly encourage Australians to share their experiences with us via our online survey,” said Keogh.
To stay up to date on the latest industry headlines, sign up to the C&I e-newsletter.