Coles and Woolworths have revealed price drops on hundreds of grocery items, in a bid to ‘help with the cost of living’, but it appears shoppers aren’t convinced it’s going to help their bottom line.

In the space of two days, both of the retail giants announced a raft of price cuts across ‘winter essentials’, with Woolworths the first to reveal its price drops.

From today, Woolies is dropping the price on more than 450 winter essentials by an average of 20%, for the next three months, as part of its Prices Dropped for Winter program.

Here’s a look at some of the price cuts, which includes some meat being dropped to the lowest price in almost four years:

• Corned Beef Silverside (was $10/kg, now $8/kg) – this is the lowest price since November 2020
• Beef Chuck Steak (was $17.50/kg, now $15/kg) – this is the lowest price since November 2020
• RSPCA Approved Whole Chickens (was $5.50/kg, now $4.50/kg)
• RSPCA Approved Chicken Stir Fry 500g packs (was $9, now $8)
• Roast Pork Shoulder Boneless (was $10/kg, now $8/kg)
• Pork Belly Roast (was $19/kg, now $16/kg)
• Perfect Italiano Parmesan Sharp Cheese 125g (was $4.50, now $4)
• Heinz Big N Chunky Soup varieties 535g, (was $4.40, now $3)
• La Molisana Pastificio 500g pasta range (was $4, now $3.50)
• Uncle Tobys Oats 1kg (was $6.50, now $5)
• Vittoria Oro Coffee Capsules 20 pack (was $13, now $9)
• Moccona Coffee Sachet 10 pack varieties (was $6, now $5)
• Twinings English Breakfast 50 pack (was $8.50, now $7)
• Dimetapp Cold & Flu 20 pack (was $15, now $10.50)
• Strepsils Anaesthetic Lozenges 36 pack(was $19, now $15)

Coles has followed suit, today announcing it’s lowering the price on more than 800 products to ‘help Aussies with the cost of living’.

Here’s a look at the price reductions, which includes more than 200 popular products which will be lowered in price for the next 12 weeks:

MEAT

• Coles’ Australian Award-Winning Sow Stall free Pork Belly Roast Boneless (down to $16/kg from $19/kg – 16% saving) – available until Tuesday 20 August
• Coles Australian No Added Hormones Beef Blade Roast (down to $13/kg from $15/kg – 13% saving) – available until Tuesday 20 August
• Coles Australian Pork BBQ Ribs (down to $17/kg from $20/kg – 15% saving) – available until Tuesday 20 August
• Coles RSPCA Approved Chicken Mince 500g (down to $5.50 from $6.50 – 15% saving) – available until Tuesday 20 August
• Coles RSPCA Approved Chicken Breast Mince 500g is (down to $6.50 from $7.00– 7% saving) – available until Tuesday 20 August
• Coles Australian No Added Hormones Diced Beef 500g (down to $10 from $11– 9% saving) – available until Tuesday 20 August

BAKERY

• Coles Finest By Laurent White Sourdough Vienna (down to $6.50 from $7 – 7% saving) – available until Tuesday 27 August
• Tip Top Pizza Base 2pk (down to $4 from $6.40 – 38% saving) – available until Tuesday 20 August (National excluding Tasmania)

VEGETABLES

• Coles Australian Grown White Washed potatoes 2kg (down to $4 from $7.50 – 47% saving) – available until Tuesday 20 August

PANTRY

• Bubly Sparkling Water varieties 8 x 375mL (down to $8.25 from $16.50 – 50% saving – National excluding Tas) and down to $7.50 from $15 – 50% saving – Tasmania) – available until Tuesday 27 August
• Heinz Big’N Chunky Soup 535g varieties (down to $3 from $4.40 – 32% saving) — available until Tuesday 27 August
• La Zuppa Microwaveable Soup Bowl 420g varieties (down to $3.60 from $4.60 – 22% saving) — available until Tuesday 27 August
• Natural Chip Co Tortilla Strips Sea Salt 225g (down to $4 from $6 -33% saving) – available until Tuesday 20 August
• Doritos Cheese Supreme Corn Chips Sharepack 380g (down to $6 from $8.50 – 29% saving) – available until Tuesday 20 August
• Twinings English Breakfast Tea Bags 50 pack (down to $7 from $8.50 – 18% saving) – available until Tuesday 20 August
• Coles Premium Beef or Chicken Stock 500ml (down to $3.80 from $4.50 -16% saving) – available until Tuesday 27 August

DAIRY, CHILLED & FROZEN

• Perfect Italiano Parmesan Cheese 125g varieties (down to $4 from $4.50 – 11% saving) – available until Tuesday 27 August
• Devondale Pat Butter 250g varieties (down to $4.50 from $5.30 – 15% saving) – available until Tuesday 20 August
• Danone Ultimate Greek Yoghurt 4 x 460g varieties (down to $4.50 from $5.75 – 22% saving) – available until Tuesday 20 August
• Dairy Farmers Thick & Creamy Yoghurt 4 x 110g varieties (down to $3.95 from $5.00 – 21% saving) – available until Tuesday 20 August
• Remedy Kombucha 750ml varieties (down to $5.90 from $7.50 – 21% saving) – available until Tuesday 27 August
• McCains Mashed Potatoes 1kg (down to $6.50 from $7.70 – 15% saving) – available until Tuesday 27 August
• Cadbury Tub Ice Cream 1.2L varieties (down to $7 from $10 – 30% saving) – available until Tuesday 27 August
• Coles Mini Vienna Sticks 5pk 285ml varieties (down to $5 from $6– 16% saving) – available until Tuesday 27 August
• The Sweetporium Co 1L varieties (down to $8 from $10 – 20% saving) – available until Tuesday 27 August

LAUNDRY, BATHROOM & CLEANING

• Finish Ultimate Pro Dishwashing Tablets Lemon 16 Pack (down to $12 from $24 – 50% saving) – available until Tuesday 27 August
• Omo Laundry Liquid 4 Litre (down to $27 from $45 – 40% saving) – available until Tuesday 27 August
• Sorbent Toilet Tissue Hypo Allergenic 12 Pack (down to $7 from $11 – 36% saving) – available until Tuesday 27 August

However, shoppers aren’t convinced. Mouths of Mums asked its 400,000+ Facebook followers if the cuts will actually help the family budget, with many sceptical about how much they’ll actually be saving in the long run.

“Are they dropping to the last unnecessary hike they did or to one of the previous ones back where it should be?” asked Jen.

“They will make it up elsewhere,” commented Kara.

“Nope, this cost of living crisis has been caused by these big corporations increasing the prices beyond obtainability, now they ‘discount’ selected items that most people don’t buy to help with the cost of living crisis that they created? Ha ha ha what a joke.” commented Sheri.

However, there are shoppers who say they’ve already noticed the savings.

“Saved $45 shopping between the two today!,” commented Amanda. “$245 was my Woolies order. Have dropped that to $135 using my 10% off and Coles is $55. For a fortnight. So $190 for groceries. If you shop sales etc it helps!”

It comes as supermarket prices remain firmly in the spotlight after the Senate inquiry handed down its final report, calling for the sector to be overhauled.

The ACCC is also conducting an inquiry into Australia’s supermarket sector, examining the pricing practices of the supermarkets and the relationship between wholesale, including farmgate, and retail prices. The final report is due early next year.

Have your say on the Mouths of Mums Facebook post, or in the comments below.