It costs what now? 79% of Australians accuse supermarkets of price gouging
Key takeaways
- The average household says they spend $207 per week on groceries.
- 39% of Aussies list their groceries as a top source of bill stress.
- 4% of Aussies said supermarkets have never engaged in price gouging.
Australians have delivered a damning verdict on the nation's supermarket giants, according to new research by Finder.
A Finder survey of 1,003 respondents revealed 79% of Australians believe they are being price gouged at the checkout.
Just 4% of Australians said supermarkets have never engaged in price gouging, and a further 4% believe they were gouging previously but have since stopped.
More than 1 in 10 (12%) say they are unsure.
Sarah Megginson, personal finance expert at Finder, said consumers have lost faith that pricing is fair.
"The majority of Aussies believe they are being ripped off when they buy their groceries.
"It's an extraordinary level of distrust for an essential service that every household relies on multiple times a week."
The average Australian household reports spending $207 per week on groceries in April 2026, according to data from Finder's Consumer Sentiment Tracker (CST). That's up from $189 in April 2024.
Unsurprisingly, parents report spending more on groceries. Parents report spending $274 per week on groceries for their household in April, compared to $171 for those without children.
Megginson said rising food costs over recent years have left shoppers hyper-aware of every dollar spent.
"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."
Groceries are a major source of bill stress for Australians, according to data from Finder's CST.
Almost 2 in 5 (39%) Australians listed their groceries as one of their top 3 most stressful expenses in April. This is followed by rent/mortgage repayments (37%), petrol (27%), and energy bills (24%).
Megginson said regardless of where consumers sit on the debate, household budgets are under pressure.
"Grocery spending is one of the most stressful weekly expenses for most families."
Megginson said while shoppers may feel powerless at the checkout, there are still practical ways to take back control of their grocery bill.
"You can't control supermarket pricing, but you can control where and how you shop.
"Comparing unit prices can be a game changer. This means comparing the same size of two products, 100g vs 100g, so you can choose the best value.
"Switching between retailers, buying home brands, shopping the half-price specials strategically and buying in bulk can make a meaningful difference over the course of a year too."
Do you think supermarkets are price gouging?
| They have been and still are | 72% |
| They weren't but now they are | 7% |
| They were but not anymore | 4% |
| They never have | 4% |
| I don't know | 12% |
| Source: Finder survey of 1,003 respondents, January 2026 |  |
Credits
- PR & Insights research team: Taylor Blackburn, Kate Boddington, Natascha Kwiet-Evans, William Capada
- Survey operation: Qualtrics
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