The supermarket war in Australia is heating up, with eggs the latest weapon in the battle to create differentiation in the minds of shoppers between Coles, Woolworths and Aldi, reports The Australian.
As animal-welfare groups put pressure on retailers and fast-food companies to quit selling eggs or using eggs from intensive or “factory” farms, traditional or “caged eggs” are fast disappearing from supermarket shelves.
Stuck in between the marketing hype are Australian egg farmers, concerned that consumers are losing out on choice and price options and not being told the full story about the merits of different egg production systems.
In contrast to Woolworths’ “outright” ban and Coles’s own-brand judgment against caged eggs, Aldi last year told the Australian Egg Corporation it wanted to offer customers a full range of egg choices.
An Aldi spokesman said: “Aldi sources eggs from small family-run businesses and larger egg producers who have invested hundreds of million dollars in the industry; by offering a range of eggs, consumers can make their purchasing decisions based on value and affordability.”