TWO red meat items are included in the latest round of retail price cuts made on more than 400 food and grocery items by national supermarket giant, Woolworths.

Woolworths’ latest Autumn seasonal Prices Dropped program launched yesterday represents an average price cut of 18 percent, the company said.

The move was designed to ‘help customers spend less when they shop at the supermarket this Autumn’, Woolworths said in a statement.

The discounts are on top of Woolworths’ 6000 weekly specials and Low Price program.

Apart from kangaroo steaks, just two red meat fresh items appear on the list of 400 lines, including:

• Woolworths’ range of Meatballs with 400g packs dropping from $8 to $6 (-25pc).
• Heart SmartBeef stir fry 500g packs are reduced from $12/kg to $10, or $20/kg (-16pc).

The list does include some red meat based pre-cooked heat and serve frozen items like McCain lamb cutlet with gravy, roast lamb and veal cordon bleu.

Other proteins items included are roast pork leg (was $11/kg, now $9/kg), diced chicken breast (was $15.50/kg, now $13) and Woolworths marinated chicken drumsticks 1.4kg pack (was $10, now $9).

The rest of the comprehensive list is made up of dry goods, grocery, a few deli lines and value-added food items.

The discounts will be available for three months until 28 May 2024.

Both Woolworths and its major national retail competitor Coles face mounting scrutiny over retail food pricing and margins, especially in the face of dramatically lower livestock prices during the back half of 2023.

There are currently six inquiries either active or recently completed looking into supermarket pricing. They include:

• Supermarket Inquiry (ACCC)
• Select Committee on Supermarket Prices (Senate)
• Competition Review (Treasury)
• Australian Government Food and Grocery Code of Conduct Review 2023-24 (Treasury)
• Select Committee on Cost of Living (Senate)
• Inquiry into price gouging and unfair pricing practices (ACTU)
• House of Reps Standing Committee on Economics — inquiry into promoting economic dynamism, competition and business formation.

“We know our customers are looking for lower prices and offers to help them manage their budgets, and we want to help them to spend less when they shop with us,” Woolworths chief commercial officer Paul Harker said in a statement issued yesterday.

“This season we’ve included a range of products on Prices Dropped for Autumn to ensure families can pick up ingredients for meals, snacks for the family and kids lunch boxes, as well as household essentials at even greater value.”

Consistency, certainty underpin Woolworths beef supplier experience

Yesterday’s announcement also included a testimonial from long-term Woolworths cattle supply contract holders, Andrew and Tess Herbert, Gundamain Pastoral Co, based near Eugowra NSW.

Andrew and Tess Herbert in their Gundermain feedlot near Eugowra. Image: Kondinin

The 150-year old family-run farming business has been supplying cattle to Woolworths for more than 20 years.

Tess and Andrew Herbert were recognised as the Australian Farmers of the Year in 2023. Together with their three children they currently employ almost 30 people and manage a 6000 head cattle feedlot, as well as diversifying their business to crops, lamb, merino wool and even hay production.

“We love what we do and the fact we get to wake up each day and feed the country. It’s incredible knowing that whenever we go to a Woolworths there’s a strong chance that the beef we’re picking up is from our farm,” Tess Herbert said.

“We’re constantly striving to improve our product while doing the best we can for animal welfare. It’s important that we can deliver a high quality product that also meets consumers’ expectations around sustainability.

“Our partnership with Woolworths has given us consistency and certainty, which helps us plan ahead in terms of what we need to order and supply. This in turn has helped our business continue to grow.”