The Orange supermarkets where food prices are on the rise

Exclusive data obtained by the Central Western Daily towards the end of April identified the cheapest places to shop around town for staples such as bread, milk and cheese.

Four months later and this newspaper can reveal which supermarkets have upped their prices the most and which kitchen necessitates have seen their cost stagnate.

Regardless of which shops you look at - Coles online, Aldi, Molong IGA, Harris Farm, Anson Street Woolworths or Peisley Street IGA - the overall cost to purchase the eight food items has risen since the end of April.

Bread was a big riser. All but Harris Farm have increased the cost of a white loaf, with an average rise for the other five stores of nearly 24 per cent.

Bananas were another big one, with all six supermarkets increasing the cost of the fruit. The average rise? 27.7 per cent with the cost per kilo now ranging from $3.75 at Harris Farm, to $5.50 at Peisley Street IGA.

One kilo of chicken breast (11 per cent) and a 500g block of cheese (seven per cent) also saw their prices go up, but not nearly to the extent of bread and bananas.

A 2L carton of full cream milk has defied the odds to remain exactly the same price across all six of the shops - the only item to do so between April and August.

Eggs were another item which barley saw a rise.

Coles and Aldi both kept the price of 12 caged eggs the same, while Harris farm actually decreased the price of their barn-laid eggs from $5.49 to $4.49. Overall, there was an average increase of just more than 5 per cent across the board.

While some foods have shot up, some have actually gone down on average.

In the case of cherry tomatoes, a price for one punnet decreased at Coles and Molong IGA (going from $3.20 to $3), with the only individual rise coming at Peisley Street IGA (from $2.50 to $3.50).

As for the city centre's Woolworths, they had a special going on August 22 where you could grab them for just $2.30.

The cost to grab a packet of dry spaghetti has also gone down on average.

While Molong IGA increased its cost of the pasts by 30c, Harris Farm slashed its cost by 49c. All other stores kept prices the same.

So overall, which supermarket has raised costs the most and which one has tightened the screws?

As you can see, there's two shops which are clear at the top before a bit of a drop off.

Commenting on the findings, a Woolworths spokesman said: "This very small basket of items being looked at isn't representative of the value we offer customers across their full shop with us.

"We're actively working to help customers spend less when they shop with us - including reducing the price of more than 450 products, like lamb leg roast, which is currently at our lowest price since 2018.

"As always, fruit and veg prices vary throughout the year - sometimes week to week - because they're based on availability and the market price we pay growers.

"Right now berries are in high supply, offering lower prices - like strawberries which are currently more than 30 per cent cheaper than this time last year.

"Most vegetables are around 20 per cent cheaper than a year ago thanks to great growing conditions, with particularly great value on zucchini, capsicum and broccoli at the moment."

Although Harris Farm's increase has been relatively small compared to the rest, it still sits atop the list of most expensive shops for those eight particular items though. The Molong IGA has now overtaken its Peisley Street compatriot for second on the list.

The three cheapest - Woolworths, Coles and Aldi - have remained the same since April, although the Anson Street store has crept closer to the top end in recent months.

An ALDI spokesman: "Every aspect of our business is built to withstand inflationary pressure, from fluctuating commodity prices to freight costs. We know that the price of essential goods has never been more important to Australians, so we remain absolutely committed to delivering the best value for our customers while also supporting our supplier partners by maintaining fair pricing.

"We remain focused on reviewing pricing across all categories on an ongoing basis to ensure we continue to deliver on quality and price for our customers, whether they live in metro or regional areas. Although inflation remains hard to predict, our Price Promise means that we will not be beaten on the cost of your weekly shop. Last year alone, we saved ALDI customers $3.1 billion at the checkout and we remain committed to providing shoppers with the best products at the best prices day in, day out."

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