Supermarket Sleuths: Aussies slash spending in key grocery category as cost of living continues to impact
By Jo Abi|
Aussies are slashing their spending in one key grocery category, as cost of living increases continue to impact budgets.
A staggering 83 per cent of Aussie shoppers surveyed by Canstar Blue said they are actively trying to keep costs down on their supermarket meat purchases.
The research also found that the majority of Australians are bulk-buying meat, picking marked-down items, or shopping around for better value.
Of the over 3,000 Aussie shoppers Canstar Blue spoke with, 28 per cent said they will choose discounted or marked-down meat products where possible.
A further 28 per cent are purchasing bulk-buy or value packs to freeze and use later and 20 per cent buy whatever is cheapest at the time.
Nine per cent are stretching their meals out by adding ingredients like beans, lentils, or vegetables.
31 per cent said they have reduced the amount of meat they eat to save on costs.
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29 per cent plan their weekly meals around the specials and promotions on offer, while 29 per cent say they have switched to buying cheaper cuts of meat.
Canstar Blue spokesperson, Eden Radford, says customers are becoming "increasingly savvy" when it comes to their supermarket shop.
"Many are employing tactics to get the products they want while still securing great value," he says.
"Almost half of shoppers choose to bulk buy or purchase marked-down products, while over a quarter use the weekly specials to plan their meals."
The average amount shoppers claim they spend on meat per grocery shop is $47.
Lamb and seafood are the most expensive meat purchase at $30 per shop, beef accounts for at $28, pork is $24, and chicken is still the cheapest at $21.
Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) reports the cost of retail beef and veal has increased by approximately six per cent over the past 12 months. This is due to exports mainly to the US, which pulls local cattle prices up higher for all categories.
?Lamb prices have gone up by 10.7 per cent in 2025 according to the ABS.
MLA explains this is due to a decline in lamb flocks when producers were forced to offload large numbers of older sheep and lambs earlier in the year due to drought conditions as well as strong global demand and export value.
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Meat and seafood prices combined have increased by 3.4 per cent according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)?.
The increase in seafood prices in 2025 has been due to increased demand, according to IBISWorld, however this increase has been offset by consumer uptake of more affordable frozen seafood products.?
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Chicken remains the most affordable supermarket meat, with a price increase of approximately one per cent over the past 12 months.
Aldi and Costco are the only two supermarkets to receive Canstar Blue 2025 Most Satisfied Customers Awards for Supermarket Meats, announced this week.
Aldi received top ratings for chicken, lamb, fish, and seafood, while Costco was the highest-rated for beef and pork.
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