Mum calls out Woolworths for 'daylight robbery' over cost of basic shop

Grocery prices have been steadily increasing for months but an Aussie mum wasn't prepared to rack up a sky-high supermarket bill for only a handful of items at Woolworths.

The grocery shop included some dumplings, a loaf of bread, instant noodles, oat milk, a pack of wraps, energy drinks, wipes and a bag of dishwashing tablets she claims was supposed to be on special.

"How much do you reckon that cost me?" she asked in a short a TikTok clip, before revealing the 10 basic items fetched an eye-watering price tag of $90.

'Daylight robbery'

While some viewers lamented the rising cost of living, some expressed skepticism over the total cost of the shopper's haul. Responding to a viewer who asked to see a receipt, she broke down the cost of the items in a separate clip, calling the prices "daylight robbery".

Presenting the receipt from her Everyday Rewards account, she revealed that the dishwashing tablets scanned at $36. "Who buys Fairy tablets full price? Nobody. Ridiculous," she said, adding that she'd initially thought that they were retailing at $10 for a bag of 28.

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Scanning error?

Thinking the pods were accidentally put under the wrong price tag in the store, she later checked the price online and discovered they were being sold for $18. "So they didn't scan as a special," she explained. "It doesn't matter that they weren't $10, but they were still only $8 more and I still paid nearly $40 for f**king dishwashing tablets."

Since the second video was posted, fellow shoppers pointed out that sometimes certain Woolies specials are for online purchases only. However the TikToker was adamant the dishwashing pods in question were advertised as on special at the store.

Other viewers suggested she save money by trying different brands, including Woolworths house brand dishwashing tablets and alternatives at rivals like Aldi, Red Dot or The Reject Shop, claiming they work "just as well" as big-name products.

Woolworths responds

A spokesperson for Woolworths addressed the woman's claim that the dishwashing pods scanned at the wrong price, suggesting the best course of action in such incidents is to speak to an employee.

"If there's an issue of something scanning incorrectly, then our advice to customers is always let the team know so it can be rectified," the spokesperson said. "Also, our 100-tablet box of Shine dishwashing tablets at $12.80 is excellent value, working out to be less than 13 cents a tablet."

How to save on groceries

A recent report by Finder revealed that Aussie households are paying thousands of dollars more for groceries each year. The average household spent $185 on their weekly grocery spend in February 2023 – up $37 a week compared to a year earlier, according to Finder's Consumer Sentiment Tracker. That's a massive $1,924 increase per household over 12 months.

Speaking to Yahoo Finance, Finder money expert Sarah Megginson offered some handy tips for reducing grocery bills. "Stick to a shopping list so you aren't wasting money on unplanned purchases. If you can, go shopping later at night, an hour or two before the supermarket closes, when meat and poultry is discounted by up to 80 per cent," Megginson said. "Stock up on staples when they're on sale and compare prices of big-ticket items like washing detergent and pet food online."

“Now is also a great time to sign up to supermarket rewards programs," Ms Megginson added. "If you're buying groceries anyway, you might as well earn points on your spend. You can then use these points to get cashback off your shop or convert them into frequent flyer points."

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