Coles on top as 2023 Product of the Year winners revealed

Over 5000 Australian shoppers have cast votes for their favourite supermarket and everyday products in the annual Product of the Year Awards (POY) for 2023. The consumer-based awards program is now in its 14th year in Australia, recognising product innovation and assisting consumers in finding the right products.

As inflation rates impacted Australian households, 72% of Australians noticed a price increase on their usual grocery shops and were looking to cut back and save costs by switching to lower-cost items and cheaper alternatives.

This is supported by the NielsenIQ research conducted for POY, which found that 84% of shoppers employed cost-saving techniques with their weekly shop. Half of the consumers admitted they had to switch to low cost or home brand options to save money, 42% claimed they had to switch to more affordable fresh food/cuts of meat and 37% generally opted to buy less than they usually do.

POY Director Sarah Connelly said, “The rising cost of living has definitely changed the FMCG landscape, with affordability now the most important consideration for Aussies making their weekly grocery trip. Typically, during a recession, you will see many people cut back on holidays and indulgent expenses like eating out, but interestingly, the data indicates something else is happening entirely.

“Only a third of Aussies reported that they cut back on splurge-like expenses such as dinners and food delivery, instead opting to switch to cheaper brands, buy less groceries or reject their favourite brands altogether. After extended COVID-19 lockdowns, you can tell that people are much more willing to sacrifice their household goods if it means getting the opportunity to go out, socialise and enjoy all the things they’ve missed out on in recent years.”

The NielsenIQ research also uncovered that the post-pandemic trend is in favour of supporting local, with 32% of shoppers preferring to go to retailers that support Australian brands.

And the winners are...

This year, POY welcomed household brands back into the winners’ pool, including Birds Eye, Colgate, Lyre’s and Moccona. In addition, first-time winners including Rokeby Farms’ environmentally friendly ‘ReMilk’, Roll’d Vietnamese Sauces, and The Comfort Mattress from The Emma Sleep Company were welcomed into the winners’ pool.

For 2023, the leading number of Product of the Year category awards were taken out by supermarket chains Coles and Woolworths for their home-brand, deli and bakery products, with Coles taking 11 award wins and Woolworths taking home five of the 33 winning product gongs.

Coles collected top gongs across 11 different categories, including fresh meat, pantry, convenience and skincare.

Coles General Manager Own Brand Charlotte Rhodes said, “Coles works closely with some of Australia’s best producers to create great value, new and innovative products to inspire customers and help us fulfil our strategy to make Coles an Own Brand powerhouse.

“Our customers are at the heart of what we do at Coles, and we are proud to be recognised by them in this year’s Product of the Year Awards, particularly across so many categories … We are committed to helping Aussie household budgets go further by offering top quality products at affordable prices through our Own Brand and exclusive products.”

Convenience and health-focused options were common themes across the winners with Coles Flavour Creations Homestyle 8 Veg & Chicken Soup and Coles PerForm Chicken, Kale & Quinoa Soup voted as the solution for a balanced, low carb meal.

Coles’ 90 calorie Fibre Bakes Choc Brownie 5-pack was chosen as a sweet treat, containing less than 7 g of sugar; while Coles Salted Caramel Vienna Sticks dominated in its category.

Coles Sweet Potato Chips, made from Australian grown potatoes, were voted category winners.

As Australians are increasingly looking to make more environmentally conscious choices, Coles Finest Certified Carbon Neutral Beef Scotch Fillet Steak was selected. Its Australian-made Coles Free Range Pan Sized Middle Bacon 200 g also won in its ‘small goods’ category.

To close out the 11 awards, Coles came out on top in household essentials, with Coles Rolled Oats Value Pack 1.8 kg and Coles Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 L both winning their categories.

Connelly said, “Every year we see own brand products raising the bar in innovation, quality and value for money. Consumers are voting for them because they are innovative, affordable and come from a brand they know and trust.”

Other winners...

• Simplot Australia won the Plant Based Meal Alternatives category for its Birds Eye Plant Based Greek Lamb Style Strips.
• Woolworths won the bread category for its 35hr White Sourdough Loaf.
• Primo Foods won the Entertaining Snacks category for its Hans Grazing Platters.
• Made Group  won the milk category for its Rokeby Farms ReMilk.
• Roll'd Vietnamese won the Sauces and Dressings category for its Roll'd Vietnamese Sauces.
• The coffee category was won by JDE for its Moccona Mochas Created with Cadbury.