Why I Don’t Shop at Just One Supermarket in Australia
Living in Australia, grocery shopping has become one of those household expenses I pay much more attention to than I used to.
I regularly shop at Coles, Woolworths and Aldi, and over time I’ve stopped asking one simple question: Which supermarket is the cheapest?
Instead, I’ve found it more useful to ask: Which supermarket is better for what I need today?
That small change has made grocery shopping more practical for me. Aldi can be excellent for everyday basics, while Coles and Woolworths often give me more choice when I’m looking for a particular brand, product or promotion.
And with food prices still putting pressure on Australian households, comparing what we actually get for our money matters more than ever.
1. Grocery Prices Are Still Rising
If your weekly grocery bill feels higher, it isn’t necessarily your imagination.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, prices for food and non-alcoholic beverages were 3.2% higher in July 2026 than a year earlier.
That doesn’t mean every grocery item increased by exactly 3.2%. Some categories move much more than others, and specials can make a big difference from week to week. But it helps explain why even a fairly normal grocery shop can feel expensive.
There has also been a significant change in supermarket regulation this year. From 1 July 2026, new rules prohibit very large supermarket retailers from engaging in excessive pricing of grocery products. At present, the rules apply to Coles and Woolworths, and the ACCC is responsible for monitoring compliance.
For shoppers, however, regulation doesn’t remove the need to compare prices ourselves.
2. Is One Supermarket Really the Cheapest?
It is tempting to choose one supermarket and assume it will always give the lowest total bill.
Real life is more complicated.
Aldi has performed strongly in independent basket comparisons. Research submitted by consumer group CHOICE to the ACCC, based on supermarket surveys conducted in 2024, found Aldi had the lowest price for its basket of commonly purchased groceries.
But there is an important limitation: a comparison basket is not necessarily your basket.
A family buying school snacks, specific skincare or household products, particular brands, Asian ingredients or items on promotion may end up with a very different shopping list.
That is why I don’t think of one supermarket as the automatic winner for every grocery trip.
3. My Experience with Aldi Has Changed
My relationship with Aldi has actually changed quite a lot over the years.
When I was still relatively new to life in Australia, probably around 15 to 20 years ago, I visited Aldi and spotted what I initially thought was the Pantene shampoo I was using at the time. When I looked more closely, I remember realising that it wasn’t the product I thought it was.
I still laugh about it now, but at the time it left me unsure about shopping there, and I stopped visiting Aldi altogether for quite a while.
Years later, after moving to a different area, a large new Aldi opened nearby. I decided to give it another try.
That visit completely changed my impression.
What brought me back first was the fresh produce. The fruit and vegetables looked fresh and good value, so I gradually started buying those there. As I became more familiar with the store, I began adding everyday groceries and household basics too.
These days, shopping at Aldi feels much easier and more familiar to me.
I still don’t expect Aldi to have every brand or every product I’m looking for. Its more limited range is sometimes exactly why I need to visit Coles or Woolworths as well. But for fruit, vegetables and many everyday basics, Aldi has become a regular part of how I shop.
Looking back, it’s interesting how much my own perception changed simply by trying the store again years later.
4. Why I Still Use Coles and Woolworths
Coles and Woolworths remain useful for a different reason: choice.
When I want a particular brand, a larger range, a specialty ingredient or something outside my normal grocery basics, I’m more likely to find several options at one of the two major supermarkets.
Promotions matter too.
A product that normally costs more at one store may become the better buy when it is genuinely discounted. That means I try not to judge a supermarket only by what happened on my previous visit.
Convenience has value as well. There are days when getting almost everything in one place matters more to me than saving a small amount on individual products.
That is part of the real cost of grocery shopping that price comparisons don’t always capture: money, time and convenience all matter.
5. The Price I Check More Often Now
One of the most useful numbers on an Australian supermarket shelf is sometimes the smallest one on the price label: the unit price.
Instead of comparing only the ticket price, unit pricing shows what a product costs per standard measurement — for example per kilogram, litre or 100 grams.
The ACCC recommends unit pricing as a way to compare similar grocery products and identify better value.
This is particularly useful when package sizes are different.
A larger packet with a higher shelf price may actually cost less per 100g. On the other hand, a product labelled as a special may still be poorer value than another size or brand sitting beside it.
Of course, buying the largest size only makes sense if your household will actually use it. Food thrown away is not a saving.
6. My Realistic Grocery Shopping Strategy
After shopping at all three supermarkets, I’ve realised that my best strategy isn’t loyalty to one store.
I use Aldi where its simpler range and pricing work for our everyday needs. I use Coles and Woolworths when I want more choice, particular products or worthwhile promotions. And when package sizes make the comparison confusing, I look at the unit price rather than the big number on the promotional ticket.
I also try to think about the whole shopping trip. Driving to three different supermarkets to save a tiny amount doesn’t necessarily make sense once time, fuel and convenience are considered.
For me, smart grocery shopping in Australia has become less about finding the cheapest supermarket and more about knowing when each supermarket is useful.
That approach may not produce the cheapest possible basket every single week.
But for a real household, it can produce something more useful: a grocery routine that balances price, choice, time and what the family will actually use.
This article is based on my personal shopping experience in Australia and general consumer information. Prices, promotions and product availability may vary between stores and locations.
