As we enter the busiest and most expensive season of the year, Christmas, there has never been a better time to shop savvy, with new research revealing just how much Aussie shoppers can save by buying their groceries at ALDI.

The research found three quarters of Aussies (74%) expect their spending to significantly increase in the eight weeks leading up to Christmas. For shoppers expecting their Christmas shopping bill to rise, the average expected cost-jump is a whopping 74.7%.

However, the good news is by making the simple switch to ALDI during the festive season, the average family can save at least $418 on their groceries in the two months leading up to the big day, and that’s if a shopper already buys the cheapest products at a competitor store, saving 15.6%. These savings skyrocket to $663 when comparing ALDI prices to the equivalent branded products elsewhere, where shoppers save 24.7% on their shopping bill by making the switch to ALDI*.

The rise of the “savvy” shopper

As a nation of proud savvy shoppers, Aussies will no doubt be excited to see these savings up for grabs at this time of year, with almost half (44%) saying Christmas is the most important time to shop smart. In fact, almost all (96%) respondents consider themselves to be “savvy” in how they spend and 84% say they are proud to be smart with their budgets.

After a year where households have really felt the pressure, nearly two thirds (63%) say their attitude to managing budgets has changed over the last twelve months and there has been a resurgence of savvy shopping. While in the past there may have been a focus on big spending, nearly nine in ten (89%) agreed that being clever with a budget is more socially celebrated than it used to be.

Oliver Bongardt, Managing Director, ALDI Australia says, “As we head into one of the most expensive times of the year, our latest research confirms that more and more Australian shoppers are looking for ways to be savvy with their spending. What our data shows is that there are hundreds of dollars of savings on offer, and it’s as simple as switching to ALDI for groceries this festive season.”

This year, Australian shoppers have tried to reduce their cost by reducing the amount they spend on takeaway and eating out (56%), using fuel check or apps to find cheaper petrol (46%) and cutting down on higher priced goods in the weekly grocery shop (44%).

On top of this, Aussies are educating themselves on how to be savvier, with nearly two thirds (63%) saying they look for ways to be smarter with their hard-earned dough and one in three (34%) going out of their way to find shopping hacks and deals.

When it comes to groceries, almost three quarters of shoppers (71%) use weekly deals and just under half (46%) look at catalogues to find specials, while some have gone as far as cutting meat (23%) and fresh produce (12%) from their weekly shop. By being savvy with their spending, over a third of Aussies (38%) say that they’re able to get items they wouldn’t be able to afford otherwise.

“I’d say to Aussies looking to ‘hack’ their way to Christmas savings – start your shop at ALDI. From grocery items, to festive and Summer seasonal essentials, by making ALDI your first port of call this year we can save you literally hundreds of dollars. Australians go out of their way to find cheaper petrol, or cut down on items that might be considered a luxury, but to save up to 24 per cent on the weekly grocery bill ALDI is the place to be,” Mr Bongardt continued.

“We don’t want to see Australian families cutting out fresh meat and fruit and vegetables from their shop in a bid to save money. Our fresh produce category is award winning and is at least 18 per cent more affordable than our competitors. We offer a consistent price gap that means customers can enjoy the best value products for the lowest possible prices this festive season and beyond. No tricks, just simple savings,” he concluded.

Other key findings include:

  • A third (32%) say Christmas is the time of year they need their money to stretch the most.
  • In the last 12 months:
    • 36% (more than a third) understand the benefits of being financially savvy better.
    • 28% (more than a quarter) feel more anxious about their finances.
    • 19% (almost 1 in 5) have started using budgeting tools to be financially savvy.
  • Australian shoppers feel a sense of pride about being savvy because:
    • It means that they can get items they wouldn’t be able to afford otherwise (38%).
    • It makes them feel they’re working the system (32%) and doing something others can’t (23%).

Savings figures calculated over 8 weeks, based on weekly spend and basket price gap data from the ALDI 2022 Price Report for an “average family”. Average family is considered two adults and two dependents, based on the 2022 Price Report.

** Research commissioned by ALDI Australia and undertaken by PureProfile surveying a nationally representative sample of 1,031 qualified Australian grocery shoppers aged 18+ years in September 2022. Data has been weighted by age, gender and region to be representative of all adults residing in Australia, as reflected by the latest ABS data. ‘Australians’ as referenced in this report is defined as ‘Australian grocery shoppers aged 18+’.