Coles roast chook hits $13: Why this grocery staple is the latest cost-of-living casualty

Hot roast chicken lovers, some bad news. In what can only be described as a further blow to already-stretched Aussie shoppers, Coles and Woolworths have simultaneously increased the price of their popular hot roast chickens.

The supermarket staple, which has been priced at $12.50 since November 2024, now costs $13 at both major supermarkets.

nine.com.au has been told the price hike happened earlier this month, before the current fuel shortage which is threatening to further increase grocery prices.

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A Coles spokesperson has told nine.com.au: "We know Coles Hot Roast Chickens are a go-to meal for many Aussie families offering a convenient, healthy and great-value meal solution.

"Any price increase is carefully considered and never taken lightly.

"Like many fresh food items, we've seen rising costs across farming, production, and transport.

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"After reviewing these pressures closely, we've made the decision to adjust the price of our RSPCA Approved Coles Hot Roast Chicken from $12.50 to $13.

"This change helps us continue to support our suppliers and maintain the quality standards customers expect, while managing market pressures accordingly.

"We remain committed to delivering value for customers and will continue to review cost pressures carefully, lowering prices when possible or offering promotions wherever we can."

It isn't known if Coles or Woolworths increased the price of their hot roast chickens first.

Nine.com.au can confirm Woolworths has also increased the price of their hot roast chickens from $12.50 to $13.

A spokesperson for Woolworths told Nine.com.au: "Woolworths Hot Roast Chickens are a much loved staple for many of our customers.

"We understand the cost of living pressures many Australians are facing, and work hard to manage the costs of providing roast chickens fresh in-store every day.

"We recently updated the price from $12.50 to $13 for our regular Woolworths Hot Roast Chicken.

"We remain committed to providing our customers with great value, high quality 100% RSPCA Approved chickens, while continuing to support our suppliers."

Coles' Hot Roast Chicken & Coke Combo, which includes a hot roast chicken and a 1.25L bottle of Coco-Cola, Fanta, or Sprite, has also increased from $13.50 to $14.

Coles' decision to increase the price of their hot roast chickens comes just one month after they axed a fan favourite roast chicken offer which promised customers a free roast chicken if they arrived in stores and found none were available.

The news was shared on Reddit by disappointed customers, with a Coles spokesperson later confirming the change.

"We know how much our customers love our RSPCA approved Coles Hot Roast Chickens," a Coles spokesperson told nine.com.au.

"They're one of the most popular items in our supermarkets and they offer a delicious, great value and convenient meal solution for Aussies.

"To make sure our hot roast chickens are available when customers want them, we've made some changes recently to how and when we cook our Hot Roast Chickens which means improved availability particular during busy times such as lunch and dinner.

"This means customers can continue to enjoy this much-loved, hot and delicious meal option."

Supermarkets in Australia sell a combined 90 million hot roast chickens each year.

IGA recently claimed the top spot in Canstar Blue's 2026 Most Satisfied Customer Award for Rottisserie Chicken, beating Costco, Woolworths and Coles to take out the title.

The supermarket chain received strong ratings across the key drivers of customer satisfaction, unseating Costco after its five‑year winning streak.

The price of IGA's hot roast chickens varies depending on location but typically costs between $12.50 and $15.

Costco sells their hot roast chickens for $7.99 however a $65 annual membership is needed to access them.

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