WITH locals finally experiencing some relief from the recent dramatic increase in fuel prices, other costs of living are expected to soar, with experts predicting people will soon feel a rise at the supermarket checkout.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Consumer Price Index (CPI) revealed the price of food and non-alcoholic beverages increased by 1.9 per cent from the December 2020 quarter to the December 2021 quarter.

The CPI revealed the cost of dairy and related products rose by 1.7 per cent, due to an increase in milk, cheese, and yoghurt prices, with the cost of vegetables also increasing by 1.7 per cent.

According to The Balance, prices of products on supermarket shelves are impacted by a number of factors including supply and demand, weather, war, and natural disasters.

A survey of 40 supermarket suppliers completed by Jarden Australia in January this year, revealed an expectant price increase of around 6.8 per cent in food over the next 12 months.

Jarden Australia’s head of research, Ben Gilbert said in a video on their website that this price increase was “enormous”, and shoppers would start to see it reflected in their weekly grocery shop.

“You look at Woolies and Coles … they’re seeing 10’s of millions of dollars of increase in their costs,” he said.

“It’s causing issues around availability on shelf and its obviously causing frustration among shoppers.”

A Woolworths spokesperson told The Spectator that the supermarket chain would be taking measures to ensure shoppers are not significantly impacted by price rises when completing their regular shop.

“We understand value is important to our customers and we’re working with our suppliers to sensitively manage the industry-wide inflationary pressure on food and groceries,” they said.

“We pay the market price for fresh fruit and veg, which can be influenced by a range of factors including seasonality, weather, supply and demand.

“We’re always working to strike the right balance to offer our customers high quality and affordable fresh produce, while paying a fair market price to our suppliers.

“Our focus will continue to be on offering competitive prices and value across our customers’ shopping basket.”

According to data released by the ABS on April 19, household spending in February 2022 increased 7.7 per cent from a year prior, with households spending around 7.6 per cent more on food.

The spokesperson said Woolworths also offered services to reduce the price of customer’s grocery shops and tried to keep people up to date with specials.

“We publish a new catalogue every Wednesday so customers can see all the latest specials and offers to help them get the most out of their grocery budget,” they said.

“Customers who join our Everyday Rewards program can save hundreds of dollars on their shop every year, by earning rewards points that can be converted into dollars off their next stop.”