Can you justify this 20% supermarket increase? Coles has raised the price of its standard paper shopping bags from 25 cents to 30 cents, a 20% rise on an item supermarkets across Australia once provided for free. The change, confirmed by the retailer, also applies to larger chipper bags in its range, which have moved from $4 to $4.20
A Coles spokesperson said the company recently adjusted the prices on selected bags saying:
“We know value remains important to our customers, and we’ve worked to keep these increases as low as possible. Unfortunately, from time to time, prices of individual products may need to increase due to changes in costs such as materials and transport. Customers can continue to bring their own reusable bags when shopping at Coles, and we encourage them to reuse bags wherever possible.”
Coles’ online flat fee for bags remains $2, while competitor supermarkets still charge 25 cents. Supermarkets are estimated to generate about $170 million a year by removing single-use plastic bags and charging for reusable options instead.
Through a change of habits, social copying and behavioural conditioning, finance and marketing expert Dr Nadja Dollisson from Swinburne University noted that while the shift from free bags initially produced frustration, since every store adopted the change, shoppers had such limited alternatives that what started as a considerable change is now a normal standard practice at the checkout.
“In simple terms, Skinner showed that behaviour is shaped by consequences. When an action brings reward or removes a problem, it tends to be repeated, and we tend to avoid actions that bring penalties or discomfort,” she said. “Bags had always been free, so the change triggered frustration and pushback. But once every major chain adopted the same rule, shoppers had nowhere else to go. A change that initially felt like a shock quickly settled into ‘just how grocery shopping works’.”
This latest increase comes as many households struggle to manage ongoing pressure on everyday grocery costs.
Coles has framed the adjustment as a response to higher input costs while pointing customers toward reusable options to avoid the change.
What do you think, is this a small, reasonable adjustment? Or is this putting too much pressure on people when they’re already struggling?
