The telltale sign that grocery price hikes are straining household budgets

The boss of Ritchies IGA says he’s noticed a change in shopping habits which suggests household budgets are being stretched by grocery price hikes.

Ritchies IGA CEO Fred Harrison says more shoppers are buying mince meat.

“Mince is really taking off and that’s customers saying ‘Maybe I can’t afford to buy scotch fillet or porterhouse, T-bone’,” he told Ross and Russel.

“All meat has gone up and mince is no exception but it probably hasn’t gone up as much … in the last six months we might have increased our mince meat say a dollar or two per kilo.”

Mr Harrison says produce prices have increased by 10 to 11 per cent, while general grocery costs have risen by about four per cent.

“It’s … freight, it’s the fact Omicron has isolated people so labour is becoming very scarce.”

Press PLAY below to hear more about how shoppers’ habits have changed