Coles shopper outraged over $11 chips 'deal': 'I'm absolutely shocked'
Letisha Malakooti couldn't believe the price of two bags of Kettle chips being promoted as a 'deal' at the supermarket.
Even the humble chip isn't immune to the ever-rising cost of living as many Aussies continue to grimace at the price tags they're seeing while walking through the snack aisle.
The latest "deal" to turn heads was the fixed price of $11 for two standard bags of Kettle chips, with Melbourne woman Letisha Malakooti less than impressed, taking to social media to vent about the situation.
"I asked the guy at Coles six times if this is right," she claimed in a subsequent TikTok video. "I thought maybe it is wrong ... I'm absolutely shocked".
"I seriously think Coles has messed up," she added.
The deal prices two bags of chips even higher compared to another $10 "special" promoted by the supermarket last month of Red Rock Deli chips, which also copped criticism online from surprised shoppers. Despite the brand being acknowledged as 'premium', many believed the price rise was getting out of hand.
What is causing the price increase in chips?
Inflation coupled with a nationwide potato shortage is said to be behind the rising prices in the chip aisle with the former responsible seeing a bag of Red Rock Deli chips rise by almost two dollars since 2018, with all other brands seeing a similar increase.
Adding to the woes has been a potato shortage in Australia over the last 12 months, impacting all potato based products available for purchase in supermarkets – so much so that Coles introduced buying limits on certain products in December after flash flooding from La Niña and fungal diseases disrupted potato crop supply.
A recent UBS report highlighted that food prices have gone up nearly 10 per cent this year alone, with rising food expense reported to be one of the biggest money worries among Aussies at the moment.
Coles prices expected to rise further, CEO warns
Earlier this month, Coles chief executive Steven Cain warned his customers to brace for even more potential pain at the checkout as the supermarket's suppliers continue to demand price rises.
"As I sit here today, we have got five times as many requests for price increases as we had last year. Five times," he told the audience at the The Australian Global Food Forum.
"And they’re not small amounts. It's not two per cent or three per cent being asked for either so there is, you know, the usual 'pig in the python' trying to work its way through the system, whether things plateau or whether they come down slowly remains to be seen."
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