Economic Policy

Cheaper Groceries for Tasmania

Tasmanians are getting ripped off at the checkout. We’re drawing the short straw because we don’t have enough choice when it comes to supermarkets.

Woolworths and Coles dominate in Tasmania. It means they can set their prices high, promote dodgy sales that aren’t really sales, and know that we’ll still shop there because we don’t have any other choice. It doesn’t matter whether it’s Costco, ALDI or another store – more competition means lower prices.

The evidence is clear: if we want cheaper grocery prices, we need more supermarket competitors to come to Tassie.

Costco in Tasmania

In early February 2026, Costco announced its plan to come to Tasmania, with a new store to open in Hobart. This is great news for Tasmanians – increasing competition for Coles and Woolies and bringing down our grocery prices.

If Costco can come to Tasmania, it shows that big retailers can (and want to) do business in Tasmania. With more competition and the tightening Coles and Woolies’ stronghold on the sector, now is the time for other competitors to enter the market.

ALDI in Tasmania

This is exactly why Tammy has been pushing for ALDI to come to Tasmania. When ALDI comes to a regional town, the prices at Woolworths and Coles go down. A 2024 CHOICE report comparing the price of essential groceries from Woolies, Coles and Aldi said that Tasmania is paying more for groceries because we don’t have ALDI.

You can join Tammy’s campaign to bring ALDI to Tasmania below:

Bring ALDI to Tasmania¹

1 https://tammytyrrell.com/campaigns/bring-aldi-to-tasmania

Last update: February 6, 2026

PLEASE NOTE

Issues statements represent a sincere and genuinely-held position of Senator Tammy Tyrrell at the time of their publication. It is based on all information of which she has been made aware prior to publication. Like all people, should new information become available, Senator Tyrrell is capable of revising her position.

Anybody who would claim that their views are infallible, and that no new information could exist that would cause them to change their mind, is either a megalomaniac, an ideologue, or a narcissist. Tammy is none of those things.

Cheaper Groceries for Tasmania