Rise of the Bachelor's Handbag: How a supermarket staple became an Australian cultural icon
Updated . First published
Hot roast chickens are a supermarket staple at Coles and Woolworths, but this wasn't always the case.
Supermarkets currently sell approximately 90 million hot chooks annually. This is an insane number, and one that speaks to their popularity across all customer demographics.
And we are the only country that calls them a 'Bachelor's Handbag', as per the Macquarie Dictionary People' Choice Word of the Year in 2022, although they are not just for bachelors.
Hot roast chickens have become a supermarket staple in Australia. Nine
Supermarket roast chickens have come to the rescue of many a busy family.
Let's take a look at the history of the supermarket hot roast chicken in Australia, from when they were first sold at deli counters to the key change that saw them surge in popularity and become the cultural icon they are today.
From the deli to self-service
Coles and Woolworths have been selling hot roast chickens in stores since the '60s, but the form in which they are sold now came much later.
Hot roast chickens used to be sold from staffed deli counters. It was a bit of a process, and one that soon evolved into the grab-and-go experience of today.
It was a bit of a process, and one that soon evolved into the grab-and-go experience of today. Nine
This was a key change for hot roast chickens in supermarkets.
Woolworths is understood to have been the first to transition from selling them from the deli counter to self-serve standalone warmers in the late '90s and early 2000s, quickly followed by Coles.
By the mid-2000s, the standalone warmer was industry standard for both major supermarkets, and today, some stores feature more than one roast chicken warmer per location. The other key change has been to place them in carry bags complete with handles. This is unique to Australia, and why we are the only country that sell's the so-called Bachelor's Handbag in this form.
Local chicken shops use foil bags or bulky food containers.
Woolworths initially promoted its hot roast chickens as being "country style", triggering images of a wholesome and healthy meal.
Coles countered by labelling theirs RSPCA-approved.
Hot roast chickens peaked in popularity in 2011 and quickly became a major factor in the price wars between the two major supermarkets.
The hot roast chicken price competition heats up
Coles made the first move in the battle of the hot roast chickens, slashing the price from $11 to $8 in 2016.
Woolworths quickly responded, dropping their price of theirs even further to $7.90.
These prices, however, were unsustainable for the major supermarkets – although what they both lost in hot roast chicken profits from these cost-cutting strategies, they gained in so many other ways.
Who hasn't picked up several other items after grabbing a roast chook – whether those additional purchases be to round out a meal with the chicken at the centre, or other grocery items that have sprung to mind just by being in Coles and Woolworths in the first place?
A key change was Woolworths and Coles selling chickens from stand alone warmers. Nine
Grabbing a hot roast chicken at the supermarket became normalised.
Sadly, these low, low prices didn't last long.
The price creep to what we are paying today
Today, a Coles or Woolies hot roast chicken costs customers $12.50, but how did we get here?
2016 is considered to be the height of the supermarket chicken wars and saw the price go as low as $8 – partly to combat new player Costco, where hot roast chickens were being sold for $7.99.
But by 2018, both Coles and Woolworths started to increase the price, knowing customers were likely to pay more for what had become a very popular seller – and how convenient it was for shoppers to pick one up during one of their frequent visits.
Today, a Coles or Woolies hot roast chicken costs customers $12.50. Nine
Coles and Woolworths increased the price by $1, to $9 each. By 2022 they had increased to $10 each, and then $11.
In 2023, they increased to $12 and then, in November 2024, the supermarkets raised the price to $12.50, which is where it stands today.
New and limited-edition flavours tend to cost more, such as Coles' most recent Peri Peri flavour, priced at $13.50, and Woolworths' collaboration with Zeus Greek Street, which costs $14.50.
Let's hope the current price point remains for some time.
Chickens as a cultural icon
Even at the current higher prices, supermarket hot roast chickens have proven their status as a cultural icon – and a very delicious one at that.
Despite their steadily increasing price, the higher costs have been in line with overall grocery price increases, which the ACCC reports to be approximately 20 per cent over the past five years.
The 'Bachelor's Handbag' has become a cultural icon in its own right. Nine
Let's just hope the $12.50 price point remains stable for the foreseeable future because as delicious as the roast chooks are, I wouldn't want to pay any more than that.
Social media has only increased the popularity, with hacks like the recent trend in which Aussies made a three-ingredient meal out of a hot roast chicken by removing the meat from the bone and returning it to the bag with rice and veggies, giving it a shake, and serving in a bowl.
The versions of this are endless, and make good use of the chicken juices in the bottom of the bag.
Who know what they'll think of next? The options are truly endless.
