Since 2020, food prices around the world have increased dramatically. While there are many factors that influenced this increase, such as supply chain issues and corporate greed, the impact on the ground is felt hardest amongst low-wage workers.
Many users on TikTok have documented how the increase in grocery costs has influenced their lives. One claimed that the same order from Target costs 42% more today than it did in 2021. Another simply showed the paltry amount of groceries he was able to purchase with $100.
Now, an Australian TikTok user is calling out Woolworths for their high prices, comparing them with the country’s wages.
In a video with over 492,000 views as of Saturday, TikTok user Patricia (@savemedaddyp) shows a package of cheese slices for sale at Woolworths. The price is $12.50 AUD, or just over $8 USD.
@savemedaddyp No because at what point will they stop. Why the actual fk is cheese 12.50. And the worst is that people are still buying it. Like damn. Fresh food people my foot #woolworths #pricegouging #ripoff #inflation #scam #inflationisreal #wooliescanligma ♬ huh – cenatupdates
“Imagine working a whole hour so you can afford cheese,” Patricia writes in the text overlaying the video. “Woolworths is actually taking the p*ss.”
“No because at what point will they stop,” she writes in the caption. “Why the actual fk is cheese 12.50. And the worst is that people are still buying it. Like d*mn. Fresh food people my foot.”
Given that Australia’s national minimum wage is $23.23 AUD per hour (around $15 USD), it’s not exactly accurate to say that one must work a full hour to afford the cheese. A more accurate description would be that one would have to work just over a half-hour at minimum wage to afford this cheese product.
Regardless, like the rest of the world, Australia has experienced major food price increases. In December 2022, food prices increased by 9.2% year over year. While this rate of inflation has gone down, food prices are still increasing, and experts say that prices could soon rise even more.
In the comments section of Patricia’s video, users expressed their own dissatisfaction with high food prices.
“I literally cried going shopping and seeing eggs costing $16,” a user wrote.
“I was at coles last week and a bag of grapes was $17,” another claimed.
“I’m scared to be an adult and buy my own food LIKE IMAGINE HOW BAD IT WOULD BE BY THEN,” shared a third.
The Daily Dot reached out to Woolworths Australia via email and Patricia via TikTok comment.