CANBERRA greengrocers are crying foul at claims the big retail chains are ''the cheapest'', saying the supermarket ''price wars'' are fooling consumers into thinking seasonal price fluctuations are genuine savings.
Fyshwick Fresh Food Markets fruit and vegetable shop proprietor Antony Cristofaro, of Trugolds, said the two supermarket giants were not as competitive as they claimed to be on prices for fresh produce.
''Coles are attempting to create the impression they have the lowest prices in Canberra and nationwide, but a comparison with Fyshwick Market shows that not to be the case,'' he said.
''For example, at Fyshwick Market 10 kilo bags of potatoes are selling for $4.99, or 49c a kilo, whereas at Coles potatoes are selling for $2.98 a kilo.
''Onions are selling here for 69c a kilo, but at Coles they are priced at $2.98.''
Mr Cristofaro said the current crop of low prices at Coles and Woolworths stores were due to a harvest-time glut of some fruit and vegetable varieties, as well as seasonal fluctuations experienced every year.
''While Coles, along with Woolworths, are lowering some of their prices, this is only because of bumper crops around the country,'' he said. ''Fyshwick retailers are reducing their prices across the board as they have for decades in line with seasonal conditions.''
The Fyshwick Markets' manager, Lee Donnelly, said prices for many fresh produce items would soon start to increase again because of the floods in northern NSW and southern Queensland.
''A lot of farmers are going to be affected by that wet weather,'' he said.
''And prices are going to rise because of it.''
.gif)
