Coles supermarket has come under fire from customers across Australia regarding a major change to its range of milk.
The retail giant has raised the price of its own brand of milk products by 10 cents a litre, effective immediately.
The new pricing means that 3L cartons are now $4.80, 2L cartons are now $3.30 and 1L bottles are $1.70.
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The move means that 3L varieties of Coles brand milk have increased by 80 cents in just over a year, which is a 20 per cent increase.
Woolworths supermarket, meanwhile, has not changed the price of its milk – meaning its own brand of milk cartons are 10 cents cheaper per litre than Coles.
A Coles spokesperson has confirmed the price rise to 7NEWS.com.au, saying it was not an easy decision for the supermarket to make.
“We have reluctantly raised the price of Coles Own Brand milk by 10 cents a litre due to ongoing cost increases in the supply chain,” the spokesperson said.
“We don’t take the decision to raise prices lightly, particularly because of the increased cost-of-living pressures faced by our customers.”
The move has already attracted widespread criticism on social media after an eagle-eyed customer spotted the new prices in store.
“Milk’s gone up again,” said one on the Markdown Addicts Australia Facebook page.
Responding to the post, another Facebook user said: “It doesn’t seem like that long ago it was $3.”
Another added: “Soon be cheap to own a cow.”
A third stated: “Can only hope the price mark up is going straight to the farmers.”
One more wrote: “Yep, noticed this yesterday. There is no end to it, won’t be happy till we can’t afford the basic necessities while they take billions.”
Another added: “Another sneaky 30 cent rise.”
Many said it was a difficult blow for those families who consume a lot of milk.
“For people with one-year-olds, it will be cheaper to keep them on formula than change to real milk,” one said.
Another commented: “Yep. And we, I mean, my kids, go through 12L per week!”
Others said they’d be happy to pay more if the extra 10 cents per litre was guaranteed to go to the dairy farmers who produce it.
“As long as it goes to the dairy farmers. They work so hard to bring milk to our door. I don’t have a problem,” one responded.
Another said: “Let’s hope the farmers get the extra money that we are paying.”
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