Aussies have slammed the skyrocketing price of a staple vegetable that was once ‘dirt cheap’ at several supermarkets.
One shopper took to Reddit to reveal the astonishing price for half a head of cabbage at Tugun Market Co. in Tugun, Queensland.
“13 bucks for half a cabbage … I’m a have to pass,” they wrote alongside a photo of the price tag.
Another shopper also complained about the price of the popular vegetable after noticing a whole head of cabbage cost $9.80 at Woolworths.
“Woolworths has gone too far,” they wrote in a separate post.
Others online also called out the “crazy” prices, with one shopper revealing she laughed when she saw “$18 for a full cabbage in Brisbane”.
“That is crazy. I wonder about the amount of waste with prices like this,” another person commented.
“Aren’t we meant to slowly starve to death on cabbage soup? Can’t even afford Great Depression meals in this economy,” another person wrote.
“Cabbage used to be dirt cheap,” another noted.
At Woolworths, a full Wombok Chinese cabbage costs $7.90, compared to $9.90 at Coles.
In a statement to news.com.au, a Woolworths spokesperson said the supermarket chain is
“currently experiencing an industry wide cabbage shortage due to excessive heat and rainfall in the growing regions”
“We’re working closely with our growers to support them during this time, as well as work to get supply back to normal soon,” they said.
Coles also noted the “challenging climate conditions” that have impacted their supply,
“We are working closely with our growers and anticipate that cabbage availability to recover in the coming weeks,” a spokesperson told news.com.au.
“Customers can still find great value on other vegetables at the moment such cauliflower, pumpkin and brushed potatoes.”
News.com.au has contacted Tugun Market Co. for comment.
It comes as supermarket catalogues from a decade ago have revealed how prices have jumped exponentially over the years.
One catalogue taken from the archives in 2014 shows a 24-pack of Kleenex toilet paper costing just $10, compared to $13.50 at Woolworths today.
Meanwhile, a 600g block of tasty cheese cost shoppers $6 a decade ago, but it has doubled in price and is now worth $12.
The same 2014 Woolworths catalogue shows a 30 pack of soft drink on sale for $19, meaning the cans come to just 64c each.
Politicians from all sides have been heaping the pressure on the supermarket duopoly in recent months after Coles and Woolworths returned profits that exceeded $1bn last financial year.
Four separate reviews, including a competition watchdog price inquiry, into the conduct of the supermarket chains are under way.
A Woolworths spokesperson told NCA NewsWirethat the company understood many Aussie families were doing it tough and looking for relief at the checkout.
“While looking back at catalogues might see some different prices, what hasn’t changed is our commitment to bringing the best of Australian fresh fruit and vegetables to our customers,” the spokesperson said.
“In the 14 months from November 2021 to January 2023, we received more than 1800 cost increase requests from our long-life suppliers with an average per month 4.5x our pre-Covid volumes.
“So there’s always a balance to maintain of paying suppliers fairly, rewarding our team and as well ensuring customers get their Woolies worth when they shop with us.”
Coles was also contacted for comment regarding their prices.
