Marked fruit and veg sales to spark new trend?
With consumers struggling to deal with rising food, fuel and finance costs comes the introduction of a new type of discount food retailer in Australia.
A new budget supermarket is set to be opened in Mildura which embraces marked fruit and vegetables in order to keep costs down for the consumer. The new supermarket, Vinnies Budget Store, is an initiative of the St.Vincent de Paul Society.
Australian supermarkets refuse to take the products on with concerns that consumers are too picky but the products rejected are often of fairly high quality. As a consequence, Australia wastes a high amount of edible food every year. The plan could see shoppers save upwards of 20% on their shopping bill and is positive for farmers and consumers alike, with farmers being able to sell more produce and consumers able to reduce the cost of their shopping bill.
Vinnies Budget Store, which is set to open this month, cost just over $150,000 to set up and has the support of Sunraysia leaders in the area. The success of the store will be followed with interest and could eventually lead to more supermarkets opening up and selling marked fruit and vegetables.
Australian discount food retailers are likely to benefit from the increased pessimism in the Australian economy as consumers seek to save money on their grocery bills, which have reportedly risen by about $139 a month for the average family. Stores like Aldi are likely to be the big winners and, with Costco on their way to Australia, Australia’s discount food retail sector is likely to develop and expand very quickly.
