6 days ago
Coles, Woolies confirm popular item shortage
A popular berry may be harder to get your hands on, thanks to heavy rainfall causing damage to crops.
Customer notices snapped at Coles advised that blueberries were in 'short supply' after being advertised in a catalogue that kicked off on July 23.
Coles confirmed in a statement that their supply of the in-demand berries, which typically have a peak season of September to December, was indeed experiencing a dip.
'Recent heavy rainfall in one of our key growing regions caused some crop damage and disrupted picking schedules, leading to a temporary tightening of blueberry supply right now,' the spokesman told
'The good news for blueberry lovers is that this dip in availability isn't expected to last long, with supply expected to bounce back within the next few weeks.
'In the meantime, we've got no shortage of seasonal fresh fruit on offer, with 100 per cent Aussie in-season citrus fruits in strong supply for a vitamin C boost this winter and with Queensland's peak growing strawberry season around the corner in late August, it won't be long before it will be a great time to buy strawberries.'
However, berry lovers need not fear as Queensland strawberry season, which typically kicks off in late August, is right around the corner.
As a stop gap, Coles has imported cherries from the United States. However, the supply is set to finish up this week.
understands that Woolworths it was facing a similar situation.
In June, prices for blueberries hit as high as $9.80 for a punnet in comparison to a low of less than $2.50 in October 2024, ABC reported.
It's not the first fresh food product shortage Australia has faced in 2025, with broccoli being in short supply due to flooding in New South Wales in May, as well as Cyclone Alfred and drought conditions in South Australia and Victoria.
All three major supermarkets — Coles, Aldi and Woolworths — confirmed to at the beginning of July that they were experiencing a shortage of the humble vegetable.
'Due to recent extreme weather events across several key growing regions, we have seen some availability challenges around our broccoli ranges,' a Coles spokesman said.
'We are working closely with our suppliers to improve supply as quickly as possible.
The spokesman continued: 'Customers can still find great value across numerous other vegetables this winter.'
