Australian supermarket chain Woolworths has released "Woolworths Trolley Trends", a report focused on the changes in the spending pattern of their Australian Shoppers over the past 25 years. The report also highlights the dramatic change in the position of the potato in that shopping cart over this period.
The Woolworths Trolley Trends report has revealed a vastly different Australia to the one that existed 25 years ago. The modern Australian household is less likely to have exclusive Anglo-Australian heritage, less likely to identify with religion, more likely to be highly educated and more likely to have both partners working. Today’s family might be a single, a couple or have adult kids living at home well into in their twenties and still relying on mum and dad for support. These changes are reflected in their shopping trolleys.
Woolworths Trolley Trends key findings:
The big weekly shop is dead:
On average, Australians spend just 34% of their weekly food budget on their primary shopping day – they are increasingly using the supermarket like a pantry Sunday is becoming the new Saturday for supermarket shopping, with 18% of Australians now making Sunday their primary shopping day, up 3% points since last year
Aussie families focused on price:
Households headed by a person aged 48-49 years spend $3,548 more on food and non-alcoholic beverages each year than the average Australian There was a 31.5% increase in the number of children still living with their parents between 2006 and 2011 - reflected in higher food costs for longer for many households More than a third of the items in Woolworths’ supermarket trolleys are purchased on promotion The proportion of items purchased on promotion at Woolies is up 10% per annum
The trolley transformation:
The potato was Australia’s side dish of choice in 1984 accounting for 72% of our side dish purchases. This has dropped to 39%, with the popularity of pasta, noodles and rice increasing to now make up 61% of side dish purchases
Australia’s changing palate:
The ‘meat and three veg’ standard meal of the 1970s and 1980s has gone by the wayside In the 1990s Mediterranean produce, including zucchini, garlic, eggplant and red capsicum, reached critical mass in our supermarkets Medjool dates, figs, almonds and pomegranates were among the Arab and Persian items that reached critical mass at Woolies since 2010 Today you will find superfoods including kale, blueberries and sweet potato as a standard in the Woolies fresh produce section
The Woolworths Trolley Trends report has revealed a vastly different Australia to the one that existed 25 years ago. The modern Australian household is less likely to have exclusive Anglo-Australian heritage, less likely to identify with religion, more likely to be highly educated and more likely to have both partners working. Today’s family might be a single, a couple or have adult kids living at home well into in their twenties and still relying on mum and dad for support. These changes are reflected in their shopping trolleys.
Woolworths Trolley Trends key findings:
The big weekly shop is dead:
On average, Australians spend just 34% of their weekly food budget on their primary shopping day – they are increasingly using the supermarket like a pantry Sunday is becoming the new Saturday for supermarket shopping, with 18% of Australians now making Sunday their primary shopping day, up 3% points since last year
Aussie families focused on price:
Households headed by a person aged 48-49 years spend $3,548 more on food and non-alcoholic beverages each year than the average Australian There was a 31.5% increase in the number of children still living with their parents between 2006 and 2011 - reflected in higher food costs for longer for many households More than a third of the items in Woolworths’ supermarket trolleys are purchased on promotion The proportion of items purchased on promotion at Woolies is up 10% per annum
The trolley transformation:
The potato was Australia’s side dish of choice in 1984 accounting for 72% of our side dish purchases. This has dropped to 39%, with the popularity of pasta, noodles and rice increasing to now make up 61% of side dish purchases
Australia’s changing palate:
The ‘meat and three veg’ standard meal of the 1970s and 1980s has gone by the wayside In the 1990s Mediterranean produce, including zucchini, garlic, eggplant and red capsicum, reached critical mass in our supermarkets Medjool dates, figs, almonds and pomegranates were among the Arab and Persian items that reached critical mass at Woolies since 2010 Today you will find superfoods including kale, blueberries and sweet potato as a standard in the Woolies fresh produce section
