Australians are paying more for iconic Aussie products than the UK

Australians are paying more for the same products than UK consumers, including homegrown and iconic Aussie products such as Vegemite. 

According to Coles boss John Durkan, Coca-Cola, Cadbury and Heinz are taking advantage of the Australian market, with Coles paying more for bulk wholesale prices than the UK consumer pays for their goods at shelf price for the major brands.

Read more: Another of Australia’s favourite brands is disappearing

“Multinationals think they can charge more in this country,” Durkan told News Corp.

“We are going to give consumers an alternative.”

By “alternative”, Durkan mean that Coles intends to expand its “private label” products, and hopes to increase sales from about 15 per cent to 25 per cent within a decade.

Durkan claimed that Kraft’s owner Mondelez gives British chains a better price, and that’s why Vegemite is 13 per cent more expensive in Australia. 

“Vegemite has all of the market here meaning they can effectively charge what they want for that product,” he said.

“But in the UK they are up against a homegrown product: Marmite. They are offering a lower price to get into that market.”

It isn’t only Vegemite either, with a Mars Bar costing nearly double in Australia compared to in the UK. 

Does it make you angry that our own products are costing us so much more here in Australia?