Woolworths, Coles and the owner of both Kmart and Bunnings have all recently signed major deals with AI technology companies, but remain vague about potential changes to the shopping experience. 

How soon the advanced technology, known as agentic AI, will be rolled out is unclear, as is whether personalised pricing or surge pricing will follow. 

While there are more questions than answers about how AI technology will transform the online shopping experience, one thing is clear. It is coming. 

Supermarkets sign big deals

In October 2025, Coles announced a major deal with OpenAI, owner of ChatGPT, with a plan to roll out AI tools across its internal corporate workforce by early this year. The press release announcing the deal says the company will be using the technology for more than just back-of-house purposes. 

“Together with OpenAI, Coles is also exploring how emerging AI capabilities could reshape the shopping experience, helping customers plan, shop and check out in more personalised, convenient and connected ways,” it says. 

“Building on OpenAI’s experience with global retailers, Coles will reimagine how its teams work and how customers shop through the use of advanced AI tools.” 

In January, Woolworths said they were partnering with Google’s AI tool Gemini to upgrade the supermarket’s existing chatbot Olive to become an AI-powered “supermarket companion” capable of planning meals. 

Wesfarmers, the owner of Kmart, Bunnings, Officeworks and Priceline, has signed AI-partnership deals with both Google and Microsoft in recent months.

The transformation of how we shop

Uri Gal, professor of business and information systems at University of Sydney, says these large and complex language models have the capacity to change the way we shop forever. 

“Pretty soon you’ll be able to say ‘I’m hosting a party for eight people, design a menu for me and buy all the relevant ingredients’. The user willingly delegates responsibility from themselves onto the tool,” he says. 

Gal says the supermarkets have purchased foundational models from the major AI companies, but will be “fine tuning” the systems and training it on internal information like loyalty program data for customisation. 

Jeannie Paterson, professor of consumer protection law at the University of Melbourne, who previously sat on the federal government’s AI Expert Group, says if AI bots are allowed to autonomously put items into checkout baskets, consumer risks will increase significantly. 

“With these systems, the more autonomously they act, the more these risks multiply. They could be putting the wrong items in the basket or spending too much money and if it’s on the consumer to catch that out, there could be serious consequences,” she says. 

Coles and Woolworths respond

We sent questions to Woolworths and Coles about whether proposed AI systems could automatically place items in shopping baskets and whether customers would have the option to turn off assisted shopping technologies. 

A Woolworths spokesperson says customers will have “full control over their cart” and “will be able to review and refine any suggestions from Olive before completing their purchase”. 

“Our approach to AI is focused on making the shopping experience easier and more personalised for our customers. We take a customer-led approach to AI, offering problem solving and shortcuts that are genuinely useful to shoppers,” the spokesperson says. 

“Once live, Olive will be able to anticipate customer needs to make life that little bit easier – from helping plan meals and finding specials, to helping them shop for specific occasions like birthday parties.” 

Coles says AI will make shopping more relevant and convenient for customers.  

“For Coles Online customers, this means helping them discover products they are more likely to need or want to buy, based on their shopping behaviour and preferences. These tools are designed to support the customer’s decisions; while ensuring they remain in control of what they choose to add to their basket,” the spokesperson says. 

Neither company responded to questions about whether customers would be able to opt out or turn the systems off. 

Bunnings and Kmart owner Wesfarmers did not respond to requests for comment. 

Competition concerns

For Paterson from the University of Melbourne, the concern is that AI tools may preference certain products or brands with more lucrative commercial relationships with the retailers over others. 

If this were the case, companies may pay a premium to be recommended more often than others, further decreasing competition in an already highly concentrated market. 

“Consumer law still applies that you can’t mislead or deceive a customer, but with these systems it may be hard to prove what’s going on,” she says. 

Geoff Olds is the managing director of Technology 360 Group, which specialises in working with pharmacy retailers, but also counts Woolworths among its clients. 

He says increased access to AI models will allow small and medium retailers to compete with the big players in ways they haven’t been able to before. 

“It’s going to level the playing field among those who adopt the technology. People who don’t adopt technology in this space drop out of the market. That’s the unfortunate part of disruptive technology,” he says. 

Olds expects to see AI technologies also move into the physical retail space in the near future. Electronic price labelling could potentially lead to surge pricing for customers who shop in stores late at night or on public holidays or even personalised pricing based on customer loyalty and other data points. 

He points out that variable pricing already exists in certain physical settings.

“If you go to the local butcher, the price of meat will change four times a day. If you go to a convenience store late at night it’s going to cost you a lot more than if you went to the supermarket.”

“It’s only a matter of time before we accept these things in the supermarket and chemist settings more broadly,” he adds. 

Big data becomes gold 

Neither Coles nor Woolworths responded to questions about how loyalty programs would be integrated with AI models either online or instore in the future, but Paterson says the massive data sets these companies hold give them enormous power. 

“Loyalty programs are a gold mine. They contain so much data on our shopping habits and behaviours over a long period of time.” 

She says while many people may find these incoming technologies convenient and helpful, scepticism and caution are important. 

“While people might not mind being nudged or prompted towards certain behaviours, if the AI is making the decisions for you, the question needs to be asked: ‘what are you really saving by having something do the shopping for you, and what is it costing?’.”

The post AI is about to do your grocery shopping. Is that good for consumers? appeared first on ����Vlog.

After two years of surveying supermarket prices, we’ve seen some clear trends emerge.

Aldi has had the cheapest overall basket each quarter, though individual product prices can be cheaper at Coles, IGA and Woolworths, especially when specials and discounts are applied.

Woolworths and Coles are incredibly closely matched on price.

And the inconsistency between the independently run IGA stores means that while overall they’re generally more expensive on average than the other three supermarkets, your local IGA may compare favourably.��

All of this means that the advice we’ve been offering since our very first quarterly report remains as relevant now as it was in June 2024: to get the best deal, use unit pricing to compare similar products, shop around to take advantage of discounts at different supermarkets, and don’t get stuck in a routine, but instead look for alternative products that can help you save.

On this page:

• The cheapest supermarket in our survey
• Base item prices
• Prices for school lunch items
• What’s in our basket?
• How closely matched are Coles and Woolies?
• How does IGA compare
• Changes in the past 12 months
• Does where you live make a difference to grocery prices?
• Freshness assessment
• What our results mean for consumers
• How we survey supermarkets

The cheapest supermarket in our survey

Without including specials, our full basket of 17 items cost $75.98 at Aldi, $90.08 at Woolworths, $90.90 at Coles and $101.84 at IGA.

It’s important to note that in order to compare the same products as often as we can, the baskets from Coles, Woolworths and IGA contain more name-brand products than the Aldi basket.��

Prices with specials

When you take into account the savings from the specials available when we shopped, at Aldi our basket cost $75.98. It cost $89.08 at Woolworths, $90.09 at Coles and $99.10 at IGA.

During our fieldwork, Coles had a special on the Sunbeam sultanas 6-pack, and Woolies had a special on the Bega cheese slices.��IGA had specials on ham, bread, yoghurt pouches, tuna, cheese slices, breast fillets and milk, but these varied from store to store.��  

Base item prices

In our base basket of seven items, which contains apples, bananas, strawberries, carrots, Weetbix, milk, and chicken breast fillets, and without including specials, Aldi was cheapest at $34.03, followed by Woolworths ($35.37), Coles ($35.73) and IGA ($42.65).��

Looking at the individual items on our base basket list (without specials), Aldi had the best price on all seven items, though in some cases only by a few cents. For example, a 375g box of Weetbix from Aldi cost $3.99 and the same product was $4.00 at Coles and Woolworths and $4.11 at IGA. Nevertheless, those small differences do add up. 

When we look at those same seven items with specials included, the picture remains the same, with Aldi still the cheapest for each product.��

Prices for school lunchbox items

If you’re packing a lunch for your kids for school each day, our spotlight basket of 10 items, which this quarter focused on items you might buy to fill a lunchbox, was cheapest at Aldi, costing $41.96. This basket contained five home-brand and five name-brand products.

If you’re more interested in just the name-brand items from the other three supermarkets, we found that without taking specials into account, you’ll pay $54.71 at Woolworths and just $0.46 more at Coles ($55.17), showing once again how closely matched the big two are on most prices. At IGA, you’ll pay $59.19 for the same 10 items on average. 

When we include the special prices available at the time of our survey, the price at Aldi remains the same but changes slightly at Woolworths, Coles and IGA, where we paid $53.71, $54.36 and $56.72, respectively. 

While most prices at Aldi, Coles and Woolworths were fairly consistent around the country, the variation in pricing at IGA means the average cost of our basket of goods was higher than at the other three stores. While this is an accurate reflection of the data, you may find prices at your local IGA to be closer to what you’ll pay at other supermarkets, such is the significance of the variation between prices at different IGA stores.

What’s in our basket?

In this quarter, our basket included six fresh and 11 packaged items. The products we purchased were:

• Chicken breasts, bulk pack
• Carrots
• Royal Gala apples
• Cavendish bananas
• Strawberries
• Baby cucumbers
• Blueberries
• Full cream milk
• Yoghurt pouches 
• Cheese slices
• Ham
• Weetbix
• Vegemite
• Sultana 6-pack
• Wholemeal sandwich bread
• Multipack chips
• Canned tuna

For all items we chose, we considered a range of factors such as ingredients, country of origin and packaging similarities to ensure we made fair comparisons. When items were unavailable, we looked for the closest alternative, just as you would when shopping for your family. Fieldworkers priced groceries at 104 supermarkets in 27 locations across Australia in December 2025.

You can see the full list of the exact items purchased at each store by clicking on the blue arrow below.

Store by store lists

How closely matched are Coles and Woolies?

In the first eight quarters of our ongoing quarterly supermarket research, Coles and Woolies have remained similarly matched on price. While Woolworths was cheaper when we shopped in March 2024 and September and December 2025, Coles was the cheaper of the two in June, September and December 2024 and June 2025. 

This close contest is reflected in the total basket costs we saw in our latest survey. Without specials Woolies was $0.82 cheaper than Coles in our basket of 17 items. That difference increased only very slightly to $1.01 when comparing prices with specials.��

Eight of the items in our full basket of 17 items were priced identically at the two supermarkets. 

How does IGA compare?

IGA stores don’t have the same chain-store model as Aldi, Coles and Woolworths, with individual stores operating as independently owned franchises. That means we see quite a lot of variation between the stores in the IGA network, often due to variation in store sizes and the effect this has on the ranges.

All of this means that while some IGA stores might be more competitive, overall our basket of 17 items (without specials) cost just over $10 more on average from IGA than the same basket of goods cost us at Woolworths.

Changes in the past 12 months

Our base basket of seven items contains chicken breast fillets, carrots, Royal Gala apples, Cavendish bananas, strawberries, Weetbix and full cream milk. We’ve been surveying the price of these products since the start of our second year of quarterly surveys in June 2025.

Overall, the cost of our seven base items has fallen since last quarter. Strawberries, as would be expected for seasonal produce, fell the most, and the cost of milk rose at all four supermarkets.

The biggest total reduction was seen at Woolworths, where the price of our basket dropped by 16%. At Aldi, it fell by 11%, at Coles it dropped by 6% and at IGA the cost was 4% lower compared to the last time we shopped.

Most of the reduction in prices was due to the average 57% decrease in the cost of strawberries. Woolworths also had a large reduction in the cost of breast fillets, as they were on special (21%). Milk rose on average 6% and the price of bananas fell at all stores except IGA, where they rose by 18%.

Does where you live make a difference to grocery prices?

Our analysis found that the state you live in does make a difference to how much you pay, and we also see variations between the different stores. 

The prices varied very little between Aldi stores, although South Australian customers paid slightly more than customers in other states. ACT had the cheapest Aldi basket, followed by NSW, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia. The difference was only $0.87 between the cheapest and most expensive Aldi baskets across the country.��

Western Australians paid less at Coles than shoppers from other states. For IGA shoppers, Victoria had the best prices, and at Woolworths, ACT residents paid less than those in other parts of the country. Aldi’s ACT shoppers also got the best price.��

Proving once again how much variation exists between IGA stores, the difference between the cheapest and most expensive baskets by state for this chain was over $15; it cost $92.50 in Victoria versus $107.60 in the Northern Territory.

At Coles the variation was just $2.33 (Queensland vs Western Australia) and at Woolies it was $2.95 (Tasmania vs ACT).

Freshness assessment

One concern we often hear is that buying cheaper means getting poorer quality, and frequently, fresh fruit and vegetables are cited as being of a better quality and lasting longer at one supermarket or another. 

So, which supermarket really has the freshest produce? While we can’t answer that question for every item you might wish to purchase, in this quarter’s survey, we asked our mystery shoppers to look at a product that often shows signs of decay more quickly than we would want: strawberries.

Our first freshness survey in June 2025 also looked at strawberries. At the time, Coles had the best result in our assessment, followed by Woolworths and Aldi, with IGA earning the poorest scores.    

As with the previous survey, we asked shoppers to assess the freshness of the strawberries they bought on day one and then again on the fifth day after purchase. Shoppers were instructed to store their punnet of strawberries in the container they were bought in, and to keep them in the crisper section of their refrigerator. After five days, they were asked to examine the berries and tell us how many showed signs of decay.��

In this assessment, Coles once again beat the other supermarkets for its initial results. On day one, 91% of the Coles punnets assessed were found to contain no fruit with signs of decay.

Woolworths came in next with 87%, followed by Aldi (80%) and IGA (61%).

After five days, Woolworths led for freshness: 35% of punnets contained no fruit with signs of decay. Coles followed, with 23% of punnets showing no signs of decay.

Only 15% of punnets purchased at Aldi and 9% of those bought at IGA had no signs of decay after five days.

Aldi had the highest number of punnets (20%) that were assessed to have no remaining fresh strawberries after five days.

What our results mean for consumers

Our shopping baskets provide a general picture of prices in the different stores and locations we visit, but they can’t reveal the whole picture. 

Smaller ranges, as we saw at some IGA stores, and special pricing can make a big difference to overall costs. We also know that between the time we survey and the time we publish our results, prices will inevitably fluctuate.

What our findings continue to highlight is that small changes add up to significant savings, particularly over the course of the year. 

That doesn’t only mean changing the store you shop at. We also recommend you think creatively and carefully about what you choose to put in your shopping trolley.��

There are lots of ways to save money on your weekly shop. Here are three of our top tips to help you reduce what you’re paying at the checkout. 

1. Check the unit pricing: It can be hard to compare prices of different-sized products from different brands, but unit pricing lets you compare prices based on the price per unit e.g. 100g or 1L. All supermarkets are required by law to include this information in labelling, both online and instore.
2. Shop around: Switching between stores and shopping at different supermarkets to take advantage of specials can deliver significant savings. 
3. Change your routine: Swap expensive cuts of meat for cheaper alternatives, look at frozen fruit and veg, particularly if shopping for produce out of season, and give the ugly or imperfect fruit and veg on special a go. Also, don’t be afraid to try home-brand products. Our expert testing often finds these ranges outperform more expensive options at all the supermarkets. 

It won’t change the fact that we are still paying significantly more for our groceries than we were just a few years ago, but making these small changes can add up.

How we survey supermarkets

Supermarkets and locations

We sent undercover shoppers into 104 supermarkets – 27 Woolworths, 27 Coles, 23 Aldi and 27 IGA stores – in 27 locations across Australia in December 2025.

Supermarket locations were chosen to give good coverage of socio-economic status based on ABS Indexes and geographic spread across the country. We survey supermarkets in clusters so that each store has local competition, and we calculate the average price of the basket of goods, both with and without specials.

A price was deemed to be a special when we had evidence of a temporary price reduction. There were 17 grocery items in each basket (6 fresh and 11 packaged items).

For more details on how we survey, see How we survey supermarket grocery prices.

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Whether you love, hate, or feel indifferent towards the Anko brand, its popularity shows no sign of waning. But are Anko products any good? Yes and no.

Anko products keep surprising us, often rivalling – or even outperforming – the big brands in our tests.

But while some Anko buys deliver premium performance at low prices, others aren’t really worth the (admittedly small) price.

����Vlog experts have put dozens of Anko products through their paces in our labs over the past year. Here are some of the best and worst performers from our tests.

On this page:

• Laundry and cleaning
• Kitchen
• Babies and children
• Luggage

Cheap appliances may not last as long

While some of the appliances listed below performed well in our testing, it’s important to consider the lifespan of cheap appliances. They may be made with cheaper parts and have shorter warranties than more expensive products. 

It can also be harder to find replacement parts (if they’re available at all), and the design can make them difficult to repair (either by yourself or a professional), so they could end up in landfill sooner.

If things go wrong with your cheap appliance, you might have better luck with customer service from an established brand rather than a discount retailer.

A cheap appliance might save you money at the checkout, but if you have to replace it sooner because it breaks, it’ll cost you more in the long run. 

Laundry and cleaning

Vacuum cleaners

Worth buying? – No

Kmart and Target sell a range of different Anko-branded stick and barrel vacuum cleaners, priced from about $30 up to $250.

Although we do love it when we find a bargain appliance that really shines, in the case of Anko vacuum cleaners, it’s sadly not so.

All of the Anko vacuums we’ve recently tested were among the lowest scoring overall. The best (or rather, the best of the worst) model scored a mediocre ����Vlog Expert Rating of just 63%. 

In fact, Anko vacs regularly make our lists of stick vacuums to avoid and barrel vacuums to avoid. 

If you’re on a budget, you’re better off checking out our recommendations for the best stick vacuums under $250.

Robot vac

Worth buying? – No

If you’ve been longing for a robot vac but can’t justify the high price, seeing the bargain $169 Kmart Anko Robotic Vacuum hit the shelves in Kmart or Target probably set your heart a-flutter.

But we suggest you swipe left on this cheap date: it’ll only leave you heartbroken.

Considering that the best robot vacs in our tests cost more than $1500 at a minimum, our expectations of a bot this cheap were low, but wow – it really disappointed.

Our experts rated it just 36% overall, and were hard pressed to find anything positive to say about it: when asked about the bot’s good points, they said “none to mention”.

Avoid this dud date and use the cash to take yourself out for a nice dinner instead.

Steam mop

Worth buying? – Yes

This is one appliance that Anko gets right! Our experts found the Anko 1300W Steam Mop easy to use, and it didn’t leave much water behind after cleaning the floor. 

At $52, it held its own against far more expensive products – even some costing more than $500. 

Before you buy, though, ask yourself: Is a steam mop worth it?

Irons

Worth buying? – Yes

Ironing is one household task that many of us loathe. And if you’re ironing-averse, you probably don’t want to fork out a fortune to buy a decent iron. 

Fortunately, Anko does come to the rescue in this situation. 

Its irons are inexpensive and the $29 Kmart Anko 2400W steam iron performed well in our irons test. 

But the highest scoring iron from the brand is a $7.50 Anko cheapie that outclassed irons costing many times more. 

So, if picking up an absolute steal will help beat those ironing blues, hot-foot it to Kmart or Target for the Kmart Anko 2000W Steam Iron.

Or if you’d like to invest in an iron with more features and even better performance, check our expert iron reviews. 

Garment steamers

Worth buying? – Yes

While they didn’t quite earn a recommendation from our experts, Anko’s $40 handheld garment steamer and $55 garment steamer performed solidly in our tests. 

They do have some wrinkles to iron out, however: the handheld model struggled to steam away creases in cotton, linen and poly-cotton, while the full-size model bombed out on linen. 

The handheld version doesn’t have an auto shut-off and its small tank means you’ll be running back and forth to the sink to fill it up if you have a large pile of clothes to steam.

Since our tests, a $29 Anko compact garment steamer has been released. Stay tuned for our next garment steamers review to see how it performs.

Kitchen

Air fryers

Worth buying? – Maybe

Anko air fryers have won many fans, most notably because they’re significantly cheaper than air fryers from many of the leading brands. 

Prices range from just $39 for a mini version through to $129 for a 24L air fryer oven. (Although at the time of writing some products were out of stock online so they may have been discontinued – it’s hard to say, considering how rapidly Kmart brings out new products.)

Our experts have had mixed feelings when testing them in our labs: there have been some dazzlers and some real duds. 

A now-discontinued Kmart Anko 9L twin air fryer fell into the latter camp.

“Not only did it receive a low score in our testing, but the Kmart Anko twin air fryer was also fairly large and heavy, and not very easy to use due to its controls, which were rated as only OK,” says ����Vlog kitchen expert Fiona Mair.

There are a few new Anko air fryers on the block that we haven’t tested yet, but keep an eye out for our next air fryer review to see which ones are the best.

Other Anko air fryers have fared better in our testing in the past, with one even scoring highly enough to be recommended by our experts. Unfortunately it’s since been discontinued, but its results go to show that some Anko models could be worth considering.

Check our detailed air fryer reviews to find out which one to grab off the shelf and which to avoid.

Coffee machine

Worth buying? – No

While a previous Kmart coffee machine we tested made pretty tasty coffee, the most recent machine we tested – the $79 Kmart Anko Compact Espresso – failed to impress.

It scored just 55% on our taste test and 40% for milk frothing. Overall, our experts gave it a ����Vlog Expert Rating of 57%.

If you’re looking for a cheap coffee machine, a pod machine might be a better bet for your money.

Cookware

Worth buying? – Yes and no

Kmart’s cast iron casserole pot ($25) compared fairly well with big-name brands such as Le Creuset, Chasseur and Staub when we tested casserole pots and Dutch ovens – and at a tiny fraction of the cost.

In a previous test, a $20 Anko 24cm frypan scored top marks, performing as well as – and even better than – more expensive brands including Tefal, Scanpan, Chasseur and Essteele.

Unfortunately it’s been discontinued, and the currently available Anko frypans we’ve tested have been somewhat half-baked.

A $19 stone-blast frypan scored 71%, which isn’t bad, but isn’t comparable to the top performing frypans in our review, which score 85% and above.

In terms of saucepans, a 20cm Anko stainless steel saucepan ($20) received top marks in our tests, ranking higher than products costing hundreds of dollars.

Premium performance at a bargain-basement price? That’s definitely a winner in our book!

But don’t just pick up any old Anko pan: the 20cm Stainless Steel Saucepan with Lid ($14) was half-baked, scoring just 66%.

The Anko 24cm Aluminium 4 Layer Non-Stick Frypan ($15) failed to sizzle in our tests, scoring a ����Vlog Expert Rating of just 54%, while an Anko 28cm ceramic non-stick frypan ($22) only managed a lukewarm 57%.

Food processors

Worth buying? – Yes

If you’re after a cheap and cheerful food processor that’ll do the job, you can’t go wrong with the $79 Kmart Anko food processor. 

“This food processor is a very good performer that’s great for chopping, slicing, mixing and emulsifying,” says Fiona. 

“It is a compact unit so it’s easy to store, and all blades are stored in the unit. It is quite noisy though.”

We’ve also tested a smaller Kmart Anko 1.2L food processor, which was the cheapest product in our test. Our experts weren’t as impressed by this one, finding some functions frustrating to use, but at $52, it’s a decent low-cost option if you’re looking for a smaller unit.  

Rice cookers

Worth buying? – Maybe

With prices for rice cookers running as high as $350, there’s a lot to like about affordable Anko models.

One of the cheapest is the petite 1.5 cup Kmart Anko mini rice cooker that costs just $15.

Sure it’s basic, but that’s to be expected for the price. And it definitely delivers: it scored a solid 80% overall in our tests, emphatically beating models costing many times more. 

If you want to size up, the $69 Anko 10-cup version could also be a winner, with similar scores across the board in our tests. It’s relatively expensive for an Anko appliance, but it also scored well in our testing.

While our experts were impressed with the Anko rice cookers we’ve tested, we suggest you check our rice cooker reviews for other brands before you shop. 

Or you could always cook your rice in a different appliance altogether: Is a multifunction air fryer the kitchen appliance you never knew you needed?

Microwaves

Worth buying? – Yes

At $99, the 28L Kmart Anko microwave certainly delivers bang for your buck. 

Our experts recommend it, giving it excellent scores for defrosting mince and a whole chicken, plus very good scores for cooking vegetables, melting chocolate and overall cooking performance. 

“If you’re looking for an affordable microwave that cooks well and is great for defrosting, then the Anko 28-litre model is a good buy,” says Fiona. 

Our experts also recommend the Kmart Anko 25L microwave ($89).

The larger Kmart Anko 34L microwave ($119) scored well overall but was marked down on its ease of use so can’t be recommended by our experts.

At these prices, some Anko microwaves are worth considering for your kitchen, especially if you’re on a budget, but make sure you’re buying one that scores well across all our tests.

Kettles

Worth buying? – Maybe

Anko kettles aren’t always impressive, but they’re not a bad purchase either. 

While only one Anko kettle we’ve ever tested has been recommended by our experts and none of the others scored higher than 74%, they’re always among the cheapest, so they’re not bad value for money. 

If you’re after something cheap and cheerful to make a simple cup of tea, you could do a lot worse than an Anko kettle. 

However, if you’re after something with fancier features or sleek aesthetics, you’ll probably need to spend a bit more.

There were more than 30 kettles on the Kmart and Target websites at the time of writing, with new models added to the range so often that we can’t always keep up with them in our testing! 

To see which Anko kettles are the best we’ve tested and find other hot buys, check our expert kettle reviews.

Bench mixer

Worth buying? – No

Competition in the benchtop mixer market is stiffer than the egg whites for your meringue, with the likes of Kitchenaid, Breville, Kenwood, Smeg and more jostling for shoppers’ attention. 

But big-name mixers come with big price tags. 

If you’re thinking of nipping down to Kmart or Target to pick up a cheap bench mixer, you’re probably better off waiting a little longer to save up for a model that performs better. Your patience could also pay off in the longer term since a cheaper appliance may not last as long.

The Anko white bench mixer is only $79 but you do get what you pay for with this one.

There’s a $69 Anko retro bench mixer now available, but we haven’t tested it so we can’t say whether or not it’s a good buy. However, we can say that the Anko mixers we’ve tested in the past haven’t always wowed our experts. 

Unfortunately, the mixers that scored the best in our testing tend to be at the upper end of the market, but you can pick up a stand mixer recommended by our experts for less than $450 – just check our review first to make sure you’re buying the best benchtop mixer for your money. 

Slow cookers

Worth buying? – Yes

When our experts put Anko slow cookers to the test they were impressed with the results.

They may lack the features of some more expensive brands like Sunbeam, Breville and Cuisinart, but these budget slow cookers perform quite well. 

And at $29 for the Anko 3L slow cooker and $47 for the Anko 6.5L digital slow cooker, those prices are hard to beat.

There are two other Anko slow cookers on the market but we haven’t tested them yet. Stay tuned for our next review.

Our slow cooker reviews are available exclusively for ����Vlog members. 

Babies and children

Bicycles

Worth buying? – No

Kids seem to grow out of things almost as soon as you’ve bought them, and bikes are no exception – so it’s understandable that you might not want to spend a fortune on a new bike that’ll be too small for them in no time. 

When we compared cheap Kmart bikes with similar ones from bike shops in 2024, the Kmart bikes just didn’t pass muster. 

They were poorly assembled, rusted quickly, had faulty parts, needed more replacement parts more quickly, and had to be serviced more frequently. 

When you add up the maintenance costs of a cheap Kmart bike, it quickly becomes a much more expensive ride. And some bicycle mechanics won’t even touch cheap bikes from big-box stores like Kmart, so you might struggle to get it repaired or serviced. 

We suggest you save up to buy a better-quality bike or look for a decent second-hand model rather than going for a cheap product from Kmart if you want to have a more enjoyable riding experience. 

Strollers

Worth buying? – Yes and no

The Kmart Anko Layback Umbrella Stroller may not have the looks or the street cred of a Bugaboo or Stokke, but what it lacks in aesthetics it more than makes up for in value for money. 

It’s just $65 but scored better than strollers costing hundreds (and even thousands) of dollars more. Importantly, it passes all our safety and durability tests, and it’s light and compact, weighing in at just 5.8kg. 

It’s cheap, easy to use and safe – what’s not to like about that?

However, when we tested a $179 Anko Compact Stroller it failed our safety tests and scored just 33% overall. It’s no longer available on the Kmart and Target websites.

A full explanation of the safety failures and Kmart’s full response are both detailed in the Kmart Anko Compact Stroller review. (See below for Kmart’s responses to our safety test results.)

Since we tested the compact stroller, several more Anko strollers have been released, but we can’t comment on their safety as we haven’t yet tested them.

Bassinet

Worth buying? – No

A cheap bassinet can be a tempting buy, but our expert testing reveals that many bassinets fail on basic safety features and can pose serious risks to little ones. 

Until recently, there hasn’t been an Australian safety standard for bassinets that manufacturers must adhere to, so our expert testers had to create ����Vlog safety tests based on established Australian standards for cots and portacots. These tests are what our current results are based on.

Thankfully, a new mandatory standard that covers bassinets has been released. It came into effect in January 2026.

Unfortunately the $149 Kmart Anko Bassinet with Canopy didn’t impressive our testers from a safety perspective – it scored a ����Vlog Expert Rating of just 49% due to the lack of continuous breathable zones around the edge of the bassinet, which could be a suffocation risk, and the mattress thickness not matching with safety recommendations. 

There are more newly released Anko bassinet and co-sleeper products on the market, but we’re yet to test them for safety.

See our full bassinet reviews for all the risks we found in our testing.

Cots

Worth buying? – Yes

We’ve tested the $139 Anko White Wooden cot and the $259 Anko 2-in-1 wooden cot, which both passed our safety tests and are recommended by our experts, so you can save money and be confident that your baby is safe in one of these cots. 

If you’re considering another brand, check our expert cot reviews before you shop to make sure you’re buying a safe product for your baby.

Cot mattress

Worth buying? – Yes

If you’re thinking of buying the $89 Anko cot spring mattress from Kmart or Target, you can rest easy knowing that it’s safe and firm, and recommended by our experts.

Since our tests, an Anko pocket spring mattress has come on the market, but we haven’t yet had a chance to put it through our rigorous testing.

A new mandatory standard for cot mattresses and other infant sleeping surfaces was introduced in July 2024, and from January 2026 all products such as cot mattresses must comply with this standard.

We’ve assessed 50+ cot mattresses in our labs to make sure they pass our stringent safety testing. See the full results of our cot mattress tests for all the details. 

High chairs

Worth buying? – Yes

The $29 Anko Prandium High Low Chair and $149 2-in-1 Wooden Highchair passed our key safety tests with flying colours and are recommended by our experts. 

The $45 Flat Fold High Chair also passed key safety tests, but didn’t score quite well enough for our experts to recommend it, as it’s a bit difficult to clean. 

To find the safest high chairs that are easiest to use and clean, check our detailed high chair reviews. 

Playpen

Worth buying? – Yes and no

Almost a third of the 25 playpens we tested failed key safety requirements – but all the Anko playpens we’ve ever tested have passed.

There’s no Australian standard for playpens, but we test to international standards and use in-house methods based on existing Australian standards for other baby products.

The $145 Anko playpen is the pick of the bunch, with our experts saying it’s easy to use as well as being safe. It’s easy to set up and pack down, and comes with a latched gate so you won’t hurt your back when reaching over the fence to pick up a heavy toddler.

The $99 Anko playpen with base passed our key safety requirements, but is only rated 60% overall as it’s hard to assemble and disassemble.

See our full playpen reviews.

Luggage

Worth buying? – Yes

There are only two Anko carry-on suitcases in our current review, but they’re both pretty good buys for the money. 

At just $39, the Anko Carry-on Hard Case 4 Wheels ranked alongside premium brands such as Samsonite, American Tourister and Antler, some of which cost hundreds of dollars.

“You could buy the $39 Anko carry-on plus return flights from Sydney to Melbourne, and you still wouldn’t have spent as much as if you’d bought the most expensive suitcases in our test,” says ����Vlog luggage tester Matthew Tung. 

Carrying too much for carry-on? The $99 Anko Premium Hard Case 72cm 8 Wheels is a decent option for check-in luggage. It didn’t score quite as well as its smaller sibling, but for the price it’s a durable suitcase that performed as well as other suitcases costing nearly 10 times as much. 

The Anko suitcase range has expanded and we haven’t had the chance to test them all yet, but they’ve typically performed well in our previous tests, with more hits than misses. 

Learn more about cheap vs expensive carry-on suitcases. 

The post Kmart Anko: Best buys and what to avoid appeared first on ����Vlog.

A similar court case is on the cards against Woolworths. In both cases, filed by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), the allegation is that the supermarkets artificially inflated prices for a short time and then dropped them down to the regular price and called it a sale.

It means the discounts would have been fictional, and shoppers would have been deceived into thinking they were getting a special deal. Coles’ “Down Down” and Woolworths’ “Prices Dropped” promotions were allegedly just a return to prices as usual – or, in some cases, prices higher than usual.

“����Vlog welcomes the ACCC’s legal proceedings against Coles and Woolworths and we’re optimistic that it will bring some much needed clarity to the confusing pricing practices used in the major supermarkets,” says ����Vlog senior policy and campaigns adviser Beatrice Sherwood.

“The case against Coles is significant as it will help to clarify the law around price representations – particularly in determining where the line is drawn when referring to previous prices.”

These cases are about whether we can trust the grocery duopoly – which has a combined market share of around 65% – to play fair with pricing and not take advantage of customers through tricky promotional tactics.

At the moment the collective trust quotient is low. ����Vlog recently lodged a submission to the federal Treasury’s consultation on improving price transparency in the supermarkets industry. We’re calling for an end to the tactics we’ve called out in several investigations.

In our submission to government, we’re asking for several improvements in the way supermarkets display and manage pricing. Here’s what they are.

Showing the price upfront

It’s the simplest of things, but first and foremost, supermarkets need to make sure they are actually displaying prices in the first place. All too often, shoppers don’t find out how much a product costs until they go to pay for it, at which point they’re likely to pay whatever it costs. Had they known the price in the first place, they may have considered other options.

It’s a particular issue in remote communities, where the Code of Practice for Remote Store Operations commendably requires “stores to have clearly displayed and accurate prices”. The problem is that the code is strictly voluntary.

Expanding the Grocery Unit Pricing Code

Unit pricing – which shows the cost per unit of measurement (such as grams or litres) – is the great leveller. It puts the truth to how much you’re actually paying for what you get. The alternative is to allow shoppers to be fooled into paying more through fancy packaging tricks.

Currently, the code only applies to stores with a floorspace of 1000 square metres or more, which means a lot of stores are bypassing it. We’re calling for a reduction of the floor-size threshold to 300 square metres, which would expand the code to many regional and remote stores, where shoppers could really use some fair play with pricing.

Making sure online and in-store prices are the same

Many shoppers use digital tools to compare supermarket prices before heading to the store to shop. But the online prices they see don’t always align with in-stores prices, pulling the rug out from under such proactive budgeting efforts.

In our submission to government, we’re calling for online price displays in large supermarkets to accurately reflect in-store prices – at all times.

Promotions and discounts should have context

As it stands, we’re forced to trust the supermarket when it tells us a product is on sale. But as the ACCC case against Coles and Woolworths shows, the supermarket may have just raised the price and then lowered it. Shoppers have told us they’re confused about promotions and discounts, mainly due to the lack of contextual information. If it’s on sale now, what did it cost before, and for how long?

Supermarkets use promotional colours such as red or yellow, or terms such as “new”, “while stocks last”, “super savers” or “everyday” indiscriminately. We’re calling for the introduction of new minimum information requirements so that “was/now” pricing is clear and accurate.

Loyalty schemes and more

The above is the short list of what we’re recommending in our submission to policymakers. It also includes a call to put supermarket loyalty schemes under the microscope to determine whether they’re really benefitting consumers; to compel large supermarkets to allow third-party price-scraping technologies to access prices so consumers can easily compare; and to align fruit and vegetable pricing across large supermarkets.

“Supermarket promotions are confusing consumers and can really influence how shoppers spend their money. Our research in 2024 found that on average one in four people found it difficult to identify if certain supermarket promotions represented a true discount or not,” Sherwood says.

“Clear pricing information is essential to any consumer’s economic decision making. Consumers need fair and transparent pricing on their food and groceries.”

The post ����Vlog calls for an end to grocery pricing tricks appeared first on ����Vlog.

����Vlog research shows that the vast majority of people continue to be concerned about their food and grocery expenses, with our June 2025 Consumer Pulse survey finding that 86% of Australians are worried about the cost of groceries. This level of concern has remained consistently high since March 2022.

So we’ve made it our business to find out where you can buy the cheapest groceries. Here’s how we do it.

On this page:

• How we choose supermarket locations
• How we select brands and products
• How we compile our shopping list
• Data collection and analysis
• Other considerations when shopping for groceries
• The ����Vlog shopping list

How we choose supermarket locations

We draw on 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, in order to choose supermarkets in locations ranking from low to very high in bigger capital cities.  

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.

How we compile our shopping list

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 following the first year of our quarterly surveys, we’ve included more fresh foods in our basket, while continuing to ensure the products we compare are as closely matched as possible by pack size, ingredients and country of origin. 

We provide a full list of the items we’re comparing. For each item on our list, the mystery shoppers visit the supermarkets in their location and purchase the products, noting when items are on special and recording the regular price.

Our full shopping list tells you which 17 items we compared in our latest survey.

How we select brands and products

In order 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 purchase. 

For example, in our most recent survey, which included bananas, we stipulated that shoppers should look at Cavendish bananas, not Lady Finger or other varieties, and that they should buy Royal Gala apples and 1kg pre-packaged carrots. 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, chilled and pantry products from Aldi, Woolworths, Coles and IGA. Where national brand products were not available at Aldi, the nearest comparable home-brand product was purchased. The data we collect is used to calculate the average basket cost across all the stores we survey.

Data collection and analysis

����Vlog engages with a qualified partner accredited with the 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. 

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, so we don’t include fresh produce in the comparisons we make without 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.

Other considerations when shopping for groceries

Supermarkets are an enormous source of research fodder, and the focus of this piece of research is on 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, supporting 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.

In our most recent survey, we’ve included a freshness check as this is also very important to many shoppers. While our results can’t tell you about how fresh all the products from one specific chain might be, it does give a useful snapshot of what we found in the supermarkets we visited (we compared the freshness and longevity of strawberries).

Rest assured, our work on supermarkets isn’t focused only on prices. Here’s some of our other recent work on supermarket tactics and products.

• We’ve been on supermarket specials, after a ����Vlog survey found 4 in 5 respondents think labelling makes it hard to tell if you’re getting a genuine discount.
• 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:
  • Supermarket beef burger patties
  • Hot cross buns
  • Christmas ham
  • Vanilla ice-cream
  • Tinned tomatoes
  • Supermarket sausages
  • Chocolate chip cookies

If there’s a product category you’d like to see us test, you can request a test.

The ����Vlog shopping list

The post How we survey supermarket grocery prices appeared first on ����Vlog.

Scrubbing, tasting, washing, stacking, measuring and scoring: they put in the hard work so you know which products are worth spending your cash on in the supermarket.

Here’s their pick of the best tasting, best performing and best value products that really stood out from the rest.

• Laundry and cleaning
• Food
• Everyday products

Laundry and cleaning

Dishwasher detergent

One dishwasher detergent brand reached the finishing line well ahead of the competition, with two of its products tying for first place.

Finish delivered impressive results with a number of its products, with five of the 12 products recommended by our experts coming from this brand.

They’re among the most expensive of all the recommended detergents in our review, but if you just want the best clean, they’re the way to go.

If you’re shopping on a budget, there are three supermarket-brand products that still deliver great results but for a fraction of the price.

Check the full dishwasher detergent review to see which is the best for your budget.

(Note: A Miele product also shared the top spot, but it’s not available at supermarkets – only through the Miele website and its Amazon store.)

Finish Powerball Ultimate All In 1 Tabs

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 80%

• Cost per wash: $1.18

Finish Powerball Ultimate Plus All in 1 Tabs

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 80%
• Cost per wash: $1.42

Stain removers

With a squeaky-clean score of 76%, Sard Super Power Stain Remover Toughest Stains topped our test, delivering great performance on hard-to-remove stains like cooking oil, chocolate ice cream, grass, mud and sweat.

It’s not cheap, though, at $8 a bottle (or $1.90 per 100mL). 

But the Sard spray was neck and neck with a far cheaper product: Aldi Di-San Pro Ultra Degreaser with Enzymes, which scored just one percentage point lower but costs less than a sixth of the price.

In fact, aside from Sard, all the best products in our test are supermarket own brands, which is good news for shoppers: you can bust stains without busting your budget:

• Sard Super Power Stain Remover Toughest Stains: ����Vlog Expert Rating: 74%
• Aldi Di-San Pro Ultra Degreaser With Enzymes: 73%
• Coles Ultra Pre-wash Stain Remover: 72%
• Aldi Di-San Pro Oxy With Enzymes: 71%
• Woolworths Clean Ultimate Oil & Grime With Enzymes Pre-Wash Stain Remover: 71%
• Coles Ion Enzyme Action Gold: 70%

If you’re after a powder soaker, Sard is the top pick again, with its Whiter & Brighter Stain Remover Major Stain Types Antibacterial Soaker.��

If you want to get your whites whiter but stay in the black, Aldi Di-San Pro Oxy Laundry Soaker & In Wash Booster is the cheapest stain remover powder that’s recommended by our experts. 
It’s just 35 cents per 100g; the Vanish product is five times more expensive at $1.90 per 100g.

Laundry detergent

Omo filled every single spot on the podium in our laundry detergent testing for front loaders, taking out first, second and third place. It also came in second place for top loaders.

Unfortunately top performance will cost you top dollar: Omo products cost up to $1.44 per wash.

However, the top-scoring Omo product is actually the cheapest of all the products recommended by our experts, costing 83 cents per wash.

If you want to lighten your laundry load but keep your pockets heavy, the next best bet is Active Expert Laundry Powder, which is an IGA own-brand product.

It scored 74% when used in a front loader, not quite high enough for our experts to recommend, but still a great result. And it’s only 16 cents per wash – five times cheaper than the top-scoring Omo product. 

Cheaper products that score well but not quite well enough to be recommended are named as our Best Buys. They’ll give you a great wash for less than 30 cents per load.

For front loaders, two Aldi products are the ones to buy: the supermarket brand sells both the top-scoring detergent for top loaders, plus a Best Buy.

• Best detergent for front loaders: Omo Powder
• Best Buy for front loaders: Active Expert Laundry Powder
• Best detergent for top loaders: Aldi Trimat Advanced Laundry Powder Concentrate
• Best Buy for top loaders: Aldi Almat Laundry Powder

63

washing machines rated and reviewed

We've tested to find you the best.

Read washing machines review

Food

Tinned tomatoes

The basis of many a household meal, tinned tomatoes are always good to have on hand. 

While the best in our test was also the most expensive, three supermarket brands were also towards the top of the table.

Top scoring: Mutti Polpa Chopped Tomatoes Organic

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 80%
• Price: $2.95

Second place: Coles Cucina Matese Diced Tomatoes

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 76%
• Price: $1.40

Equal third place: Coles Italian Diced Tomatoes | Community Co Italian Diced Tomatoes

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 75%
• Price: $1.10 | $1.30

Christmas hams

For many Australian families, it’s not Christmas without a ham. And since it takes centre stage on the Christmas table, it’s important to get it right: if you serve up a dry, tasteless ham you might find yourself off the Christmas card list.

While you could spend hundreds of dollars on a fancy ham, there are plenty of supermarket hams that deliver reasonably-priced Christmas cheer while still leaving room in the budget for all the trimmings.

Here are the best ways to ham it up supermarket-style this festive season:

Coles Christmas Beechwood Smoked Half Leg Ham

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 80%
• Price per kg: $8.00

Woolworths Mountain Ash Wood Double Smoked Half Leg Ham

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 75%
• Price per kg: $13.00

Woolworths Bone In Half Leg Ham

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 70%
• Price per kg: $8.00

Vanilla ice cream

Sweet tooths, have we got a scoop for you: you can treat yourself with top-tasting ice cream without paying top-shelf prices.

Three of the four vanilla ice creams rated best by our expert taste testers are supermarket own-brands that cost less than half the price of some premium brands.

These are joined by a product from local dairy company Norco, which is more expensive but still cheaper than big-name ice cream brands such as Connoisseur and Haagen-Dazs.

Here are the sweet scoops that’ll make your tastebuds and your wallet happy:

Coles Irresistible Vanilla Bean

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 94%
• Price per 100mL: $0.65

Aldi Indulge Vanilla Bean Gourmet Ice Cream

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 89%
• Price per 100mL: $0.60

Norco Cape Byron Ultimate Vanilla

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 85%
• Price per 100mL: $1.00

Woolworths Vanilla Bean Indulgent Ice Cream

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 81%
• Price per 100mL: $0.65

Milk chocolate

2025 was a tough year for ����Vlog taste test experts: not only did they have to suffer through an ice cream taste test, they also endured a milk chocolate taste test, working their way through 19 different products including vegan and no-sugar options. 

The top chocs come from some well-known names and some lesser known brands – plus one supermarket-brand choc. Here are the best blocks on the block:

Tony’s Chocolonely Milk Chocolate

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 86%
• Price per 100g: $5.53

Lindt Excellence Extra Creamy Milk

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 84%
• Price per 100g: $8.50

Mr Beast Feastables Milk Chocolate

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 84%
• Price per 100g: $6.67

Lindt Milk Chocolate No Sugar Added

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 83%
• Price per 100g: $9.75

Woolworths Belgian Milk Chocolate

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 81%
• Price per 100g: $2.00

43

air fryers rated and reviewed

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Everyday products

Sunscreen

Sun protection in Australia is a non-negotiable: we have the highest rates of melanoma in the world, and two in three Australians will be diagnosed with some form of skin cancer during their lifetime.

But when ����Vlog lab-tested 20 popular sunscreens earlier in 2025, the results were shocking: 16 of the 20 products failed to meet their SPF claims, and the worst returned an SPF figure of just four.

Of the four products that returned SPF results matching their claims, two can be picked up alongside your groceries, while the others you’ll need to buy from a chemist or from Mecca Cosmetica:

• Cancer Council Kids Sunscreen SPF 50+
• Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Lotion SPF 50
• La Roche-Posay Anthelios Wet Skin Sunscreen 50+
• Mecca Cosmetica To Save Body SPF 50+ Hydrating Sunscreen

For the full results, plus updates on recalled products, read all about our sunscreen SPF test.

The post The top supermarket products of 2025 appeared first on ����Vlog.

On this page:

• Pantry and freezer
• Laundry and cleaning
• Household

But they’ve come a long way and – believe it or not – some are so good that they rival products costing many times more. Some even top our expert taste tests and reviews, beating well-known brands. 

Hesitant about home brands?

It used to be easy to spot supermarket own-brand products: the dorky labels with that “I made this in MS paint” vibe were a dead giveaway, as was their placement way down on the bottom shelf.

But supermarkets have upped their design game and these days you’d often be hard pressed to pick them out in a lineup of branded products. 

And they’re no longer relegated to the bottom shelf: they’re usually front and centre in a bid to catch shoppers’ attention (and money).

With the exorbitant cost of living, we know that many people are already switching to cheaper products to save money. 

But some of us are still sceptical: will home brand products be as good as your tried-and-true faves, or will you be disappointed?

We’ve taken the guesswork out of it. ����Vlog tests more than 2000 products each year in our labs, so we know which cheaper products are worth it and which are best left on the shelves.

So next time you’re filling your trolley, try these products instead of your usual brand – you’ll probably be pleasantly surprised by the performance and the savings. 

A note about prices: Grocery prices fluctuate so frequently that today’s price could be completely different to tomorrow’s. Prices listed were correct at the time ����Vlog testers reviewed the product. Double-check before you buy to make sure you’re getting the best deal.

Pantry and freezer

Ice cream

Coles Irresistible Vanilla Bean Ice Cream rose to the top of our ice cream test, beating well-known premium brands such as Haagen-Dazs and Connoisseur, and household names such as Bulla, Peters and Streets.

At just 65c/100mL it’s a bargain to boot, and it tastes better than products costing up to $2.95/100mL – that’s 4.5 times more.

This doesn’t necessarily mean you should eat four times as much Coles ice cream, but with a price this cheap you can certainly enjoy an extra scoop without breaking the budget!

Aldi is no stranger to the podium in our taste tests, and it lived up to its reputation in the ice cream stakes: Aldi Indulge Vanilla Bean Gourmet Ice Cream came second overall, well ahead of its expensive competitors. It’s slightly cheaper than the Coles scoop at just 60c/100mL.

And Woolies got a look-in too, coming in fourth place. Woolworths Vanilla Bean Indulgent Ice Cream costs the same as Coles’ classic treat: $6.50 for a 1L tub.

Tinned tomatoes

This pantry staple is the backbone of many a family favourite meal: soup, stew, pasta, curry, pizza, and more.

So should you spring for the fancy stuff to make these simple dishes sing? Our taste test suggests not. 

While the top tin was the most expensive, three supermarket products also made the podium:

Coles Cucina Matese Diced Tomatoes

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 76%
• Price per 400g tin: $1.40

Coles Italian Diced Tomatoes

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 75%
• Price per 400g tin: $1.10

Community Co Italian Diced Tomatoes (IGA)

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 75%
• Price per 400g tin: $1.30

Milk chocolate

If you’re after another treat on the cheap, one supermarket-branded choc will hit the spot for less.

Woolworths Belgian Milk Chocolate ranked fifth in our expert taste test, not far behind brands such as Tony’s Chocolonely, Lindt and Mr Beast. 

At just $3.80 a block, it’s a quarter of the price of Lindt Excellence Creamy Milk and a third of the price of the tastiest choc on the block, Tony’s Chocolonely.

Laundry and cleaning

Stain removers

If you’re after sprays and soakers that are tough on stains but gentle on your wallet, head to Aldi. 

Its stain remover spray and laundry soaker powder products didn’t quite take out the top spots in our tests but they weren’t far off, and they cost a fraction of the big-name brands. 

In the pre-wash stain spray category, Aldi Di-San Pro Ultra Degreaser with Enzymes (28c per 100mL) scored 75% – just one point behind the top scorer, Sard Super Power Stain Remover Toughest Stains. But the Sard product costs $1.90 per 100mL – more than six times the price of the supermarket spray.

Aside from Sard, every other spray stain remover that’s recommended by our experts is a supermarket own-brand product, so no matter where you shop you can bust stains on a budget.

• Coles Ultra Pre-wash Stain Remover: ����Vlog Expert Rating: 72%
• Aldi Di-San Pro Oxy With Enzymes: 71%
• Woolworths Clean Ultimate Oil & Grime With Enzymes Pre-Wash Stain Remover: 71%

While you’re picking up Aldi’s spray stain remover, grab some Aldi Di-San Pro Oxy Laundry Soaker & In Wash Booster as well. It didn’t quite reach the podium, but it is recommended by our experts and for just 35 cents per 100g, it’ll bust stains just as well as powders costing five times as much. 

We’re currently testing stain removers in our labs to find the best spray and powder stain busters including newer products on the market. Stay tuned for the results.

Laundry detergent

If you’re a front loader family looking to fine-tune your laundry and your budget, a detergent from a different supermarket is the way to go. 

Our experts named Active Expert Laundry Powder from IGA as a ‘Best Buy’ – a product that doesn’t do well enough to be recommended, but performs quite well and represents great value for money. It scored 74% overall and costs just 16 cents per wash.

Aldi Trimat Advanced Laundry Liquid Concentrate and Coles Ultra Concentrate Laundry Powder are the other Best Buy detergents for front loaders.

Want a top detergent for your top loader? 

It’s supermarkets for the win again: Aldi’s Trimat Advanced Laundry Powder Concentrate topped the top loader tests, beating detergents from Omo, Radiant and Biozet Attack.

Aldi Almat Laundry Powder and IGA’s Active Expert Laundry Powder are also worth considering – they’re our experts’ Best Buys for top loaders.

Dishwasher detergent

You can’t put a price on clean dishes, right? Pick a poor performer and you’ll have to pick again – pick food scraps off your plates, that is. 

But our tests show that you don’t have to spend a fortune for a great clean. Products from Coles, Aldi and Woolies were among the top scoring dishwasher detergents in our tests, hot on the heels of the big brands.

They didn’t quite top our tests, but these dirt-cheap detergents are recommended by our experts, along with big brands such as Finish and Fairy that cost up to nine times more.

Coles Ultra Advanced Dishwasher tablets

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 76%
• Cost per wash: $0.15

Aldi Logix Platinum Dishwasher Capsules

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 75%
• Cost per wash: $0.25

Woolworths Shine Optimum All in 1 Ultimate Clean Dishwashing Pods

• ����Vlog Expert Rating: 75%
• Cost per wash: $0.26

If you go for these cheap-but-cheerful performers, you’ll have money left over in the shopping budget to buy yourself a little treat. (A supermarket-brand ice cream or milk chocolate, perhaps?)

Read our full dishwasher detergent review to see how the brands compared. 

Household

Toilet paper

Cheap toilet paper can be a false economy: you might need to use more to get a good wipe, it can be scratchy, and – worst of all – it can give way at the worst possible moment. 

Plus, it can cost a fortune if you don’t pay attention to the cost per sheet. 

We don’t want to give you the bum steer on toilet paper, which is why we tested 26 products in our labs, and we can tell you that Vevelle White Toilet Tissue 2 ply is the best wipe for your wallet. 

Even though it looks like a branded product, it’s actually produced by Woolworths. And it’s certainly priced like a home-brand TP, costing just 19 cents per 100 sheets. 

However, its score on our puncture test, which measures how likely your finger is to go through the paper, doesn’t instill confidence – our experts rated it just 53%.

The post The cheaper supermarket home-brand products that outperform big-name brands appeared first on ����Vlog.

Grocery delivery is big business. Research by Statista suggests that the market is projected to be worth more than A$15 billion in 2025, with more than 30% of customers making use of these services.

So it’s not surprising that there are plenty of options for those who want to avoid the trip to the supermarket and instead have their groceries brought to their door.��

While Coles and Woolworths have well-established delivery services through their own websites, other platforms for grocery delivery, including DoorDash, Uber Eats and Milkrun have joined the party in recent years.��

These services also have the distinction of allowing you to receive your order quickly, in some cases in less than an hour – an offering that’s especially attractive if you suddenly realise you’re missing a crucial ingredient for tonight’s dinner or you’re running low on milk and bread.

While Coles and Woolworths have partnered with third-party platforms for several years to provide this expedited grocery delivery service, it was only in 2025 that Aldi began to offer this service with DoorDash.

Customers likely expect that if you’re getting an express delivery of groceries to your door, you’ll pay a delivery and service fee. But how much are you really paying for the convenience, and how do the different services compare?

Catering to convenience

It’s a familiar situation for many: it’s mid-week and you’ve realised you need a few groceries for dinner and a couple of things to tide you over to the weekend, plus perhaps a treat (we’re not judging) to get you through the remainder of the work week. There’s no time to pop to the supermarket, and you want the items fast for dinner prep and school lunches.

We used this scenario to create orders for a comparable list of 13 products. For Coles, we compared what you’d pay instore versus via Uber Eats and via DoorDash.��

For Woolworths, we looked at how instore prices compared to prices through Milkrun and Uber Eats, and for Aldi we looked at instore costs and the price when delivery is made via DoorDash.

How much more are you paying?

Delivery costs, which may include service fees, delivery fees and sometimes bag fees, range from as little as $5 (for our Woolworths Milk Run order) to as much as $11.32 (for our Woolworths Uber Eats delivery). That’s to be expected, but the additional costs don’t end there.

Our comparison revealed that individual grocery items may cost significantly more when purchased via third-party delivery apps. On average, across the platforms we compared, the price of individual items was 11% more when purchased via the third-party service.��

Prices compared

The biggest difference we found was in the price of Coles Vanilla Ice Cream Cone 4-packs: they were 42% more when bought via both DoorDash and Uber Eats ($5.25 compared to $3.70 instore).��

Across the entire basket of goods, the Aldi basket bought through DoorDash had the smallest average mark-up (7%) and Coles DoorDash order had the highest (13%).

Of the 13 items we compared, seven of the products from Aldi were priced higher on DoorDash than instore.��

For example, if you pick up a block of Aldi’s popular Choceur milk chocolate instore, it will cost you $4.99. Want that same block delivered via Door Dash? It will set you back $5.79, and that’s before you have paid the delivery and service fee.�� 

In our Woolworths Milkrun order, 12 of the 13 items were priced higher. Every item in our Uber Eats order from Woolworths was more expensive, with the average across the whole basket being 12%.

For example, if you purchase a 400g tub of Lurpak instore at Woolies, it’s $9. If you order it via Uber Eats, it will cost you a whopping $10.20.��

Apart from six products in our Aldi DoorDash order and one in our Woolworths Milkrun order, for all other comparisons, the price of every item was higher when bought via the third-party service.��

If you have a membership to services such as DashPass, Uber One, Woolworths Delivery Unlimited or Coles Plus, you may qualify for free or discounted delivery. We have not included any analysis of how these services would affect the total cost of rapid delivery.

Is it clear you’ll be paying higher prices?

While some shoppers we spoke to knew that they were paying more for their groceries through third-party services, others seemed unaware.��

“I expect to pay for delivery and service, but not extra for the items,” says Mel.

Jo, a regular Milkrun user, thought the same. “I would expect to pay the same because Milkrun is owned by Woolies. The delivery fee is on me because I was disorganised enough to leave bloody cream off my list (again),” she says.

On DoorDash, you need to click on the ‘Pricing & Fees’ link near the top of the page on either the app or website. For our Coles shop, the notification told us that the “merchant sets fees that are higher than in-store prices for this location”. For Aldi, it simply states that “prices may be higher than in-store prices for this location”.��

We couldn’t find any similar information on the Uber Eats platform.��

On the Milkrun FAQ page, it states there is a small $5 delivery fee, but it doesn’t make it clear that some items might be more expensive on the app than if you’d bought them direct from Woolworths.��

Why are you paying more?

Nearly all the supermarkets and platforms told us that higher prices reflect the cost of convenience.��

An Aldi spokesperson told us that they don’t set the prices for items sold via DoorDash, but that they were committed to delivering the best value for shoppers on the platform.��

They admitted that there was a cost to convenience on some items, but pointed out that many everyday essentials, including some fresh produce, meat, and dairy products, were priced the same on DoorDash as they are instore.

A Coles spokesperson told us that, like most merchants, including retailers and restaurants, products sold through third-party platforms are often priced higher.

“This ensures we can offer the service to our customers wanting instant delivery options, particularly when they are in a time-crunch,” they said, adding that they also offer better value options such as delivery or Click and Collect via Coles Online.

Woolworths told us that pricing on Milkrun was different due to the level of convenience offered, adding that all prices were clearly marked and delivery fees clearly disclosed.

DoorDash told us that the higher prices paid for individual items reflect the additional costs involved in providing a convenient, on-demand service, “such as technology, operations and delivery logistics”.��

Unit pricing

When we asked about unit pricing, DoorDash told us it “continues to work within platform capabilities to make the experience as clear and simple as possible”.

Uber Eats confirmed that each merchant independently controls the pricing and range of its menu items on the platform. It also told us it had recently introduced unit pricing in New Zealand and planned to roll it out in Australia in the near future.

Rapid delivery direct from the supermarkets

Both Coles and Woolworths offer their own rapid delivery services separate from those provided by their third-party partners, though they may actually be fulfilled through those third-party partners.

To compare the cost of rapid delivery using the Coles and Woolworths websites rather than the third parties, we shopped for the same basket of products used in our comparison of the third-party apps and then selected the rapid delivery option.��

While the cost of individual items was no higher than it would have been if we had shopped instore, adding the rapid delivery fee ($15 for both Coles and Woolworths) put the final cost on par with the total prices (including delivery) we paid for our orders from DoorDash and Uber Eats.��

For our Woolworths order, it meant that Milkrun was the cheapest option for a rapid delivery ($58.08 vs $51.60).

Are grocery delivery apps worth it?

Since 2022, our regular ����Vlog Consumer Pulse surveys have consistently shown widespread concern about the cost of groceries.

In June this year, when we most recently surveyed, 86% told us they were worried about the price of food. Nevertheless, convenience is an important consideration, which is why people are willing to pay more when time is short.��

If you do choose to use one of these rapid delivery services, it’s important to be aware that the extra costs won’t just be in the delivery and service fees, something that isn’t always obvious.��

It’s also worth noting that the lack of unit pricing on some platforms can make it more difficult to find the best value.��

While convenience is a huge factor for many, knowing that you might be paying 40% more for some items on your list could be enough to make you decide that perhaps you do have time for a quick run to the shops after all.

The post DoorDash, Milkrun and Uber Eats grocery prices compared: What’s the cost of convenience? appeared first on ����Vlog.

On this page:

• Does unit pricing really help shoppers?
• Unit pricing is failing in many ways
• Sales can be misleading without unit pricing
• Strengthening the unit pricing code
• Have you seen unit pricing done badly?

Since ����Vlog last surveyed the way Australians use unit pricing in 2022, we’ve seen concerns about the cost of food and groceries continue to trouble shoppers around the country. With more pressure on household budgets, it’s no surprise that people are keener than ever to save money where they can.��

When grocery prices are high, using unit pricing becomes an important way to save money.�� 

In fact, according to our newest survey conducted earlier this year, checking unit pricing is the second-most frequently mentioned method shoppers use to save at the checkout. But unfortunately, our survey also found that there are serious issues with the way unit pricing information is being displayed.

So what’s going on with unit pricing?

Does unit pricing really help shoppers?

The short answer is yes, but only when it’s properly applied.

Unit pricing was introduced in 2009 to help people find the cheapest option when shopping at large supermarkets (supermarkets of more than 1000 square metres and online stores are required to provide unit prices for packaged grocery items).

The unit pricing code, enforced by the ACCC, requires that the unit price must be prominent, in close proximity to the selling price, legible and unambiguous.

Our research also shows that when unit pricing information is easy to read and properly displayed, it does help shoppers choose the best value items. Unfortunately, far too often the information supplied is not as helpful as it should be.��

In our recent survey, 1011 grocery buyers were asked to look at product images and tell us which one was the best value for money.

When shown images without unit pricing, only 63% of shoppers picked the best value product. When unit pricing was included, that jumped to 76%.

Unit pricing is failing in many ways

While unit pricing is designed to help shoppers, our new survey found a significant decrease in the percentage of people who are finding it useful when they’re actually browsing supermarkets.��

“While almost half of shoppers are now comparing unit prices to help save money at the supermarket, an increase from 2022, we’ve seen a significant decline in people finding it useful – 61%, down from 71% in 2022. At the same time, we’ve seen an increase in people reporting labelling issues at the supermarket,” says Andy Kelly, ����Vlog deputy director of campaigns and communications.��

Inconsistent units of measurement (kilograms compared to grams, for example), obscured signage, illegibility, incorrect information, or simply no unit pricing information at all are commonly reported issues.��

In fact, our research revealed widespread issues with the way unit pricing information is displayed in our supermarkets.

• 38% reported issues with inconsistent units of measurement
• 38% encountered unit pricing text that was difficult to read
• 32% said the unit pricing was obstructed or covered

Reinforcing these findings are the dozens of examples of poor unit pricing practice sent to us by ����Vlog supporters from across the country.��

“����Vlog supporters continue to send us examples of unit pricing done badly which unfortunately undermines the consumer’s ability to rely on unit pricing to choose the product that’s the best value for money,” says Kelly.��

“From obscured or missing, to inconsistent units of measurement and incorrect calculations, the issues we’re seeing show that changes to the Code backed by strong penalties are long overdue.”

Sales can be misleading without unit pricing

While our survey found using unit pricing was a common way for people to save money on their groceries, buying on sale was the most frequently mentioned method.��

Unfortunately, not all ‘specials’ will actually help you save. Especially if you don’t check the unit pricing to make sure you’re actually getting a good deal.

“Supermarkets have conditioned consumers to search for colourful tags as indicators of value, but even with any discounts applied, those products may not be the best value for money. Purported discounts may even be illusory. Particularly when so many of us are concerned about the cost of living, comparing the unit price is the best way to ensure you’re getting the best bang for your buck,” explains Kelly.

Strengthening the unit pricing code

In September 2025, the federal government announced it was releasing a consultation paper outlining options to help shoppers make more informed choices and make unit pricing work better.��

The consultation paper invited stakeholders and the wider community to share their views on options to improve unit pricing display requirements, including readability and prominence, expanding the scope of retailers covered, and addressing inconsistencies in units of measure to make it easier to compare products. It will also be asking for input on the introduction of civil penalties for non-compliance.�� 

“����Vlog strongly recommends expanding the scope of the Unit Pricing Code so that more consumers can benefit from it, alongside strengthening the rules around when and how unit prices need to be displayed,” says Kelly.�� 

“This will help remove common issues that undermine its usefulness, such as inconsistent units of measurement and unit prices that are too small to read, or are incorrect.��

“Further, introducing shrinkflation notices will help alert consumers to when a product has reduced in size and the unit price has increased, to stop consumers being tricked into paying more than they intended.”

Have you seen unit pricing done badly?

If you think a price display is misleading, poorly displayed or otherwise fails to provide the information consumers need to find the best value, we want to hear from you.��

We’re inviting you to become a unit pricing champion by telling us about your . With your help, we can continue to work to achieve a better outcome for all shoppers.

The post ����Vlog survey: More people using unit pricing, but price labels still too confusing appeared first on ����Vlog.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made the commitment earlier this year to introduce price caps in 76 remote grocery stores around the country. The scheme would require the prices of 30 essential goods to be the same in metropolitan and remote stores.

At the time, Albanese said the commitment, which was part of his annual Closing The Gap statement, was to tackle the health impacts of poor quality nutrition and a lack of affordable options for healthy food in remote communities.

He cited the 2024 ����Vlog investigation into remote grocery stores, which found some First Nations communities in Western Australia and the Northern Territory paying more than twice the price of city shoppers for a basket of essential goods.�� 

Announcing the rollout of the $50 million scheme, the government said the number of stores involved will eventually be expanded to 152 stores.��

“First Nations people living in remote communities have been paying significantly higher prices for essential items than people in the cities for far too long,” Minister for Indigenous Australians, Senator Malarndirri McCarthy, stated this week.��

“The start of the subsidy scheme marks a significant step in our work to ease cost of living pressures and improve food security issues for remote communities.” 

New Code of Practice

The move comes at the same time as the government introduces a new Code of Practice for remote grocery stores, which some advocates are concerned doesn’t go far enough to stop price gouging and harmful practices.��

The code introduces welcome requirements for stores to clearly display accurate prices and stock a minimum number of fresh fruits and vegetables and other healthy foods, but there are other areas where the code is lacking.�� 

The government’s draft code of practice was quietly published by the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) last month, before coming into effect in July 2025. The rushed two-week timeframe for submissions on the draft code and the lack of transparency put consumer advocates like Bettina Cooper from Mob Strong Debt Help offside immediately.��

“It would have been good to have wider consultation and for consumer advocates to be given the proper opportunity to look at and understand what is in this,” she says.��

Concerns mount over Code 

Cooper says the code as it is proposed is a “first step”, but the fact that it’s voluntary will limit its effectiveness.��

“In other sectors we have seen time and time again that voluntary codes have limited success. There needs to be incentives for stores to join the code, or else why would they? Or what would stop them simply pulling out?” she says.��

Mob Strong, along with the Indigenous Consumer Assistance Network (ICAN) and ����Vlog have lodged a submission with the NIAA expressing several concerns.

They include a lack of incentives for stores to join the code and the absence of both penalties for non-compliance, and a dispute resolution process for customers. The draft code referenced a dispute resolution process, which has since been omitted from the final version.��

The submission also calls out the code’s vague requirements around display pricing of goods in stores.��

Closing the Gap 

Cooper says it’s important that the NIAA’s code and the government’s price caps are part of an effort to make sure remote stores continue to stock affordable essential items and are not seen by storekeepers as a reason to stock unhealthy foods with higher profit margins.��

The government has said that participation in the subsidy price-cap scheme will require stores to sign up to the Code of Practice.��

“If stores haven’t signed up or haven’t changed their behaviors, then the next step is the federal government needs to make a mandatory code so that this behavior of price gouging, that we know exists, is stamped out, if there is a true effort to close the gap,” Cooper says.

“And there needs to be a true effort for every Australian to be able to eat healthily and be able to provide things like nappies and formula to their kids in an affordable and accessible manner,” Cooper adds.��

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