One state leading savings charge as Aussies abandon name brands
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here Australia's most frugal state has been revealed, with Compare the Market crunching the numbers to find where shoppers have been turning away from brand-name products. Victoria tops the list, with 53 per cent of shoppers switching to generic brands to save money in the past 12 months. That's ahead of Queensland and Western Australia (48 per cent each), New South Wales (47 per cent) and South Australia (46 per cent). The average Aussie now spends $213.64 on groceries every week, equal to an 11.5 per cent increase, or an extra $21.98 weekly, compared to the $191.66 they were paying in January 2024. (Nine) The national average is 49 per cent. And the switch could be working for them, with Compare the Market finding shoppers could save up to 41 per cent by switching to generic brands. "Families have been doing it tough for long enough and with high prices in almost every aisle at the supermarket, it's hardly surprising to see so many Australians opting for generic brands over big names," Compare the Market's Chris Ford said. "Time and time again we see people being stung with high prices because they stay loyal to certain brands and our latest research shows the tide may be turning." The average Aussie now spends $213.64 on groceries every week, equal to an 11.5 per cent increase, or an extra $21.98 weekly, compared to the $191.66 they were paying in January 2024. Over a year, that's an additional $1142.96 on groceries alone. Compare the Market's data found that Australians were saying no in droves to brand-name milk (65 per cent), cleaning products (58 per cent), bread (57 per cent), frozen veggies (52 per cent) and toilet paper (50 per cent). "These are the common grocery items we simply can't live without, so it makes sense to see so many Australians trying to save money where they can here," Ford said. "And the savings can be significant. We crunched the numbers at major supermarkets and found a 50 per cent reduction when opting for a cheaper brand multipurpose cleaner, a 38 per cent saving by switching to home brand bread, and even a 27 per cent price difference between brand-name and generic brand milk." Meanwhile, around one in five Australians (18 per cent) were switching to generic brand confectionary, a quarter (23 per cent) had moved to home brand biscuits and snacks and around a third (31 per cent) made the switch to cheaper brands of toothpaste, soap and shampoo in the last 12 months. Compare the Market research found that when shopping for 13 common grocery items, ranging from toilet paper, pasta sauce, and teabags to poultry, frozen veggies, and confectionary, shoppers stood to save as much as 41 per cent, or $32.80, by switching from brand names to generic brands. The trolley total for brand-name items was $79.15 compared to just $46.35 for the generic brand alternatives. "In some instances, like Earl Grey teabags, there's a 63 per cent difference between brand names and generic brands, which is significant," Ford said. "In fact, we found major savings in every aisle by switching to generic brands." Cost of Living
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