Aldi’s five-year fruit and veg winning streak is over

IGA has ended Aldi’s five-year winning streak to take out Canstar’s 2026 Most Satisfied Customers Award for Supermarket Fruit & Veg.

The consumer group surveyed 2,541 supermarket shoppers who rated IGA as having the best fruit and vegetables, awarding it five stars for overall satisfaction, freshness of produce, variety and value for money. IGA lost just one star for value for money.

In second place is previous winner Aldi, scoring five stars for value for money, four stars overall satisfaction, freshness of produce and presentation, and just two stars for variety.

Woolworths landed in third place, earning four stars for variety, three stars for overall satisfaction, and two stars for freshness of produce, value for money, and presentation.

Coles placed fourth in the Canstar rating, earning three stars in each category.

Roz White who owns and operates six IGA supermarkets on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland with husband Michael has told nine.com.au they source fresh fruit and vegetables for their stores locally, as much as possible.

“Customers enjoy the best quality, freshest possible product, which lasts longer in their fridge because of the quality and freshness of it,” she said. “It’s travelled the least amount of mines. For instance, local lettuce is grown 15 minutes from our store. It can be picked up in the morning, packed, and on your family’s dinner plate that night.

“We’re just lucky, we’ve got an abundance of growers and producers here, so why not make the best of it.”

How shoppers are choosing their fresh fruit and veg

Canstar.com.au’s consumer expert, Eden Radford, said cost of living is increasingly shaping how shoppers choose their fresh fruit and veg.

Read more

KFC cautiously rolls out major menu change in two states

“However, the data has also shown that for more than one-fifth of those surveyed, trying to save has meant cutting down on the amount of fresh fruit and vegetables consumed altogether,” she said.

According to shoppers surveyed, the average weekly spend on fresh fruit and vegetables is $32 which is a 26 per cent drop from 2025’s figure of $43.

Canstar’s research showed shoppers are actively trying to reduce their spending in the fresh fruit and vegetable aisle.

Over two-fifths (42 per cent) say they buy only what is affordable instead of what they would like to eat, 33 per cent are buying the ‘ugly’ produce, while 25 per cent are going frozen because it’s cheaper, and 23 per cent are doing it so they don’t need to worry about fresh produce spoiling.

More than one-in-ten (12 per cent) shoppers have even admitted to reducing the weight of the produce they buy, such as removing stalks from broccoli, while six per cent admit to being dishonest by selecting the cheaper version of a more expensive item at the self-serve checkout.

Read more

Local farmers left reeling after Coles and Woolies strip products from shelves

“Whether buying only what’s affordable, choosing ‘ugly’ produce, or perhaps getting tactical by trying to drop some weight, it’s evident that shoppers are trying all approaches to stretch their dollar further,” Radford explained.

And shoppers report using every trick in the book to keep costs down.

“Whether it’s adopting new saving tactics or switching supermarkets entirely, this is evidence that Australian households are taking active steps to manage rising grocery costs.”