CHOICE research continues to show that the vast majority of people remain concerned about their food and grocery expenses, with our March 2026 Consumer Pulse survey finding that 88% are worried about the cost of groceries.
This is even higher than the findings we recorded in January and June 2025, when we found 84% and 86% respectively were troubled by the amount they were spending on these essentials.
We choose supermarkets from a range of socio-economic areas, from low to very high, in capital cities and regional centres. We use the Australian Bureau of Statistics Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) product, which ranks areas in Australia according to relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage, to inform our selection.
We also ensure a spread of locations across the country, and at each location we survey, we make sure the supermarkets we are comparing are close enough to each other to ensure that any variations in prices between stores are not due to them being in different locations.
All up our mystery shoppers visit 104 supermarkets – Coles, Woolworths, Aldi and IGA stores – in 27 locations across Australia.
In compiling our grocery list, we include items regularly purchased by average Australians. The intent is to compare the prices of commonly bought items, rather than creating a basket that’s representative of an average weekly shop.
In response to feedback, we’re continuing to include more fresh foods in our basket, while still ensuring the products we compare are as closely matched as possible by pack size, ingredients and country of origin.
For each item on our list, the mystery shoppers visit the supermarkets in their location and buy the products, noting when items are on special and recording the regular price.
Our full shopping list tells you which 16 items we compared in our latest survey.
How we select brands and products
To make the most accurate comparisons, we look at product descriptions, pack sizes, ingredients and country of origin, and instruct our shoppers on which items they should buy. This doesn’t always mean we choose the cheapest option for each type of product, as we’re looking for comparable items.
As a shopper, you might be happy with a smaller pack size and different ingredients if it’s the cheapest at your favourite store. For our survey, we want to compare products that are as similar as possible, which means we look very closely at the items we include.
When products aren’t available we buy the nearest alternative, just as you would when shopping for your family
For example, in our most recent survey, we stipulated that shoppers should look at Cavendish bananas, not Lady Finger or other varieties; that they should buy Royal Gala apples and prepacked potatoes; and that the frozen chips should be a 750g pack of the beer-battered variety. We also provide suggestions for alternatives, should the preferred options not be available.
When we compare packaged goods, if we can’t find identical products, we look for the most similar options available. For this basket, we included a selection of fresh, frozen and pantry products from Aldi, Woolworths, Coles and IGA. Where a national brand product is not available at Aldi, the nearest comparable home-brand product was bought. The data we collect is used to calculate the average basket cost across all the stores we survey.
CHOICE engages with a qualified partner accredited with the Mystery Shopping Providers Association to undertake the fieldwork. Undercover shoppers visit the nominated supermarkets in a single week between Thursday and the following Tuesday to avoid the price changes that generally occur on a Wednesday.
For each item, we provide shoppers with a photo and specify the quantity, weight or pack size to ensure they’re collecting prices for the correct product.
Shoppers are required to buy the items in our basket so that we have receipts for each purchase, which we use to verify the recorded prices.
A price is deemed to be a ‘special’ when we have evidence of a temporary price reduction
When products are on special, our shoppers photograph shelf labels showing the regular price. A price is deemed to be a “special” when we have evidence of a temporary price reduction. Getting clear evidence of temporary price reductions on fruit and vegetables can be difficult because the labelling often makes it hard to tell if something is reduced or simply lower in price due to market price fluctuations. This is why we don’t include fresh produce in our comparisons that exclude specials.
The data is collected via an online survey platform that requires shoppers to enter prices in a consistent format for each item. Every shopper’s price list is validated for accuracy and completeness for quality assurance.
Supermarkets are an enormous source of research fodder, and the focus of this research is price.
But we understand that many other factors are often considered when choosing where to shop or which products to buy, including convenience, nutrition, quality, the choice to support smaller and/or local producers and country of origin. And for some people, some of these other factors may be a higher priority than price.
Rest assured, our work on supermarkets isn’t focused only on prices. Here is some of our other recent work on supermarket tactics and products.
In 2025 we conducted research into how Australians use unit pricing and found that many report issues with the way stores display this information.
We regularly review quality by comparing performance, nutrition or taste of products (including national and supermarket brands) within individual product categories. Our more recent grocery item reviews include:
Margaret Rafferty joined CHOICE in 2018 as a Content editor and since then has filled the roles of Commissioning editor, Managing editor and now Editorial consultant.
Margaret has written on a wide variety of topics and enjoys making complex subjects easy to understand. With over 20 years of media experience, Margaret brings a strong storytelling background to CHOICE. She works closely with people across the organisation to help tell stories that make a positive difference to people and is passionate about uncovering bad practices and helping Australians to avoid falling victim to shonky products and services. LinkedIn
Margaret Rafferty joined CHOICE in 2018 as a Content editor and since then has filled the roles of Commissioning editor, Managing editor and now Editorial consultant.
Margaret has written on a wide variety of topics and enjoys making complex subjects easy to understand. With over 20 years of media experience, Margaret brings a strong storytelling background to CHOICE. She works closely with people across the organisation to help tell stories that make a positive difference to people and is passionate about uncovering bad practices and helping Australians to avoid falling victim to shonky products and services. LinkedIn
For more than 60 years, CHOICE has been fighting the good fight for Australian consumers.
In the past year alone we've uncovered systemic issues with sunscreens, investigated shonky supermarket pricing, fought for stronger scam protections and helped make complex energy pricing fairer and clearer.
CHOICE is here to provide unbiased advice and independent testing in our world-class labs. We buy the products we test, just like you do, and our expert reviews are influence free. We’re here to help you choose smarter. Hopefully you’ll also save some money along the way.
Thanks to CHOICE, you’ll never be alone when a business treats you unfairly. You can support our work by joining or donating to our cause.
