Coles shopper scores $160 grocery haul for just $8.50 with simple hack: ‘Too good to be true’
Some of the items were discounted by up to 95 per cent.
A Coles shopper has scored a trolley full of groceries for just a fraction of their normal price.
The major supermarkets have been accused of price gouging customers and suppliers during a cost-of-living crisis and are currently under the microscope of the consumer watchdog. Some shoppers have even reported skipping meals because the cost of groceries has become too high.
However, there are some serious savings to be made if you manage to strike while the iron is especially hot.
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That’s what Alexandria Facchini did during a visit to a Coles supermarket just after a range of items were reduced. Supermarkets routinely mark down the price of products across the store at certain times and days as they get close to their use-by or best-by dates.
Facchini walked into a Coles at 6:00pm and was greeted by a raft of marked-down stickers.
The shopper was able to fill her trolley with nearly $160 worth of food and paid less than $8.50 for the whole thing.
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She was able to pick up a $12 packet of diced grass-fed beef for just 60 cents, a packet of diced chicken breast fillets and a packet of spicy chicken wings for 45 cents each instead of $9 each. There was a rich beef pie for 79 cents instead of $15.80, as well as an $11 tray of croissants for just 55 cents.
The savings were incredible, with some items discounted by more than 90 per cent. Other shoppers were shocked by how much could be saved by shopping at the right time.
“Good haul. Sure you didn’t know the person marking it down?” said one person. “Looks too good to be true.”
Another added: “Awesome!! Better it’s sold than put in a skip at the end of the day.”
When can you get reduced items?
Unfortunately, there is no set time each day that Coles or Woolworths staff mark items down. It depends on factors like the individual store, stock levels, delivery schedules and team member rostering.
A Coles spokesperson previously told Yahoo it often marked down products nearing their best-before date so they could still be enjoyed, rather than wasted. Meanwhile, a Woolworths spokesperson said its markdowns varied from day to day and store to store, based on stock levels and demand.
"From time to time, individual stores are left with excess stock, which is marked down to reduce waste," the spokesperson explained to Yahoo Finance.
If you’re looking for other bargains at Coles, the supermarket also has a policy where it will give you a voucher for a free hot roast chicken if you go to the store and there are none in stock.
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