CHOICE welcomes tomorrow’s commencement of the new supermarket excessive pricing prohibition at a time when cost of living pressures remain front of mind for most households.
New CHOICE research reveals concern about the cost of food and groceries is at an all-time high, with 88% of households worried about prices – up from 56% in January 2021.
Quotes attributable to Director of Campaigns and Communications, Andy Kelly:
“With 44% of households reporting they’re just getting by and 24% finding it difficult, it’s more important than ever for the government to pursue every available measure to tackle this problem.”
“Consumers have lost a huge amount of trust in supermarkets in recent years, with confidence dropping from 48% in March 2022, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, to just 21% today. The new excessive pricing prohibition should help to restore some of that trust, but further reform is needed.”
“We welcome the government’s commitments to improve price transparency on supermarket promotions and to expand and strengthen unit pricing, but it’s crucial these reforms are implemented without delay. Together, these measures will help to restore trust and encourage businesses to compete on price, rather than confusing promotions.”
“Consumers aren’t just feeling the pinch on groceries, so we continue to call on the government to introduce an economy-wide price gouging prohibition to stamp out unfair and excessive pricing wherever it occurs.”
Editor notes:
CHOICE Consumer Pulse research
CHOICE research was completed in Wave 45 of the online tracking study in March 2026 amongst n = 1,096 Australian households, representative of the Australian population.
About the prohibition
From 1 July 2026, the new excessive pricing prohibition will make it illegal for Coles and Woolworths to charge excessive prices, having regard to the cost of supply plus a reasonable profit margin. Supermarkets will also be required to keep detailed pricing records for 3 years. Penalties for breaching the prohibition could be upwards of $10 million.
