Yahoo Finance Aldi shopper's $1000 shock after ditching Woolworths
Is it really cheaper to shop at Aldi? We break down the costs, savings and comparisons.
It’s the question that’s divided Aussies for years - is it really cheaper to shop at Aldi instead of Coles and Woolworths? As the cost of living continues to climb, one woman has revealed how she has saved herself a "small fortune” by simply switching where she shops.
Ella Victoria decided to switch to Aldi as she wanted to save money after noticing her online Woolworths grocery shop had been getting "really expensive". She did a price comparison and was pleasantly surprised with a saving that could add up to $1,000 a year.
“Overall, I saved about $10 to $20 when shopping at Aldi. Honestly, I thought it would be even more savings than that,” she said.
Several people agreed that they usually save around $20 per shop at Aldi.
While it doesn't seem like much, many pointed out that over 52 weeks, the small amount quickly adds up, resulting in over $1000 in savings a year.
“My shop at Aldi is about $160-ish, whereas, at Woolies, it’s $200 plus,” one person commented.
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Aldi vs Woolies: Price comparison
Here's some of the biggest differences Ella noticed.
Frozen chicken schnitzel
Aldi: $4.99
Woolies: $8.50
Chicken tenderloins
Aldi: $11.15
Woolies: $13
Eggs
Aldi: $5.19
Woolies: $6.50
Spudlite potatoes
Aldi: $4.99
Woolies: $6
Aldi beats out Coles too
But it wasn’t just Woolworths shoppers who claimed to save by switching. A Coles shopper also said that she saved more than $70 by purchasing her weekly shop from Aldi.
“Today, we compared Aldi VS Coles for our usual weekly shop. We compared basic items for time to get the closest match. Aldi was $158.71. Coles was $230.38 using the usual home brand and on special items,” she explained.
However, several people argued that there were some flaws in her comparison.
Firstly, they noticed that Woolworths or Flybuys rewards or specials weren't factored in. While others pointed out they couldn't ever do a full shop at Aldi.
"There's no doubt that Aldi is cheaper. It's a fact. But not for everything, and I don't know a single person who could do a full family shop from there," another person offered.
Is it a fair comparison?
Professor of Marketing and Consumer Behaviour Gary Mortimer says shoppers can save at Aldi, but it's not always entirely fair to compare.
"Yes, you can save if you shop purely at Aldi, but there is a cost for that saving, and that cost is that you forgo range and choice," he told Yahoo Finance.
"If you want to buy Coca-Cola, Cadbury Chocolate, and some of the bigger brands that you normally buy at a supermarket, you’re not going to get that at Aldi, but you will get it at Coles, Woolworths or IGA.
"If you are comparing branded products with generic private-label products, then that is not entirely fair. But if you are comparing like for like, then yes, it is."
How does Aldi keep prices down?
Mr Mortimer says Aldi's buying power on a global scale is the driving force behind their low-pricing model. The limited range, smaller store footprint, register processes, and shelf-ready packaging also contribute to supermarket savings, which ultimately benefit customers.
"We tend to think that Aldi has around 600 stores in Australia - it doesn't - it has 10,000 stores globally. So when Aldi buys tin tuna, it’s not buying for 600 stores, it’s buying for 10,000 stores globally," he explains.
"Having less range means that they are buying a lot of one or two items rather than smaller volumes of lots of items."
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