Cost of living and supermarkets in Dubbo, NSW |
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The cost of living in Dubbo has become a growing topic of conversation among locals lately.
Residents have noticed that despite multiple supermarket options, the pressure at the checkout is still felt by many families.
Shopping for groceries in Dubbo reveals an interesting mix—there are three Woolworths Dubbo locations, two Coles stores, and a handful of smaller IGAs scattered across town.
It’s hard to ignore the question: With so many options, why do prices stubbornly feel high for everyday essentials?
More fast food is also on the way, with construction underway for a fourth McDonald’s, alongside multiple KFC and Domino’s outlets.
Yet some residents are left wondering why larger specialty supermarkets, such as a Super IGA or a store like Harris Farm, have never made it past the rumor stage.
According to recent reports, bold proposals for a major Bunnings expansion and other retail developments have faced setbacks after council decisions.
This has fueled frustration in the community, especially as new businesses continue to open up in nearby cities like Orange and Bathurst instead.
Some point to the local government’s cautious approach as a possible reason for missed opportunities.
Shoppers say they’re longing for more choices and better deals, especially as every dollar counts amid rising cost of living pressures.
If Dubbo is serious about keeping pace with other regional centers, welcoming new entrants into the supermarkets Dubbo landscape could be key.
Until then, families continue to stretch their budgets in familiar aisles, waiting to see if competition really heats up in their own backyard. |
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Competition is the only thing that brings prices down. Three Woolworths is not competition, it's just one company with three shops. Until an actual different brand comes in nothing will change.
People keep mentioning Harris Farm and honestly yes please. The fresh stuff there is so much better and the price on meat especially is reasonable. Would be a game changer for families here.
Fourth Maccas honestly made me laugh out loud. Half the streets need fixing and we're getting another drive through. Great stuff.
We're pensioners and every grocery dollar matters. The bus doesn't go to Orange so we're stuck paying whatever the local stores charge. Not everyone can just drive to another town for cheaper shopping.
I'll say something unpopular. Some people blame council but private businesses make their own calls. If a Harris Farm hasn't come here it's because they don't see enough profit. Simple as that.
Anyone else notice the Woolworths on the south side has really inconsistent stock lately. Shelves empty by Thursday and not refilled until Monday sometimes. Frustrating every single week.
My daughter lives in Penrith and laughs when I tell her what I pay for basic stuff here. Regional areas always get the short end and nobody seems to care enough to actually fix it.
The KFC on the highway is always packed so obviously people are spending money in Dubbo. Makes you wonder why retailers think the town can't support more grocery options.
Drove to Orange last month just for the Aldi there because ours was out of stock on heaps of things. Ended up shopping around while I was there. Spent less overall. Wild.
Fresh produce at the IGAs around here is hit and miss. Half the time the vegetables look like they've been on the shelf since last week. More competition would fix that real fast.
Lived in Dubbo my whole life. The variety of shopping here has barely changed in fifteen years but the population has grown a lot. Something has to give eventually.
I actually think the council gets too much blame for this. Big retailers do their own research and if they think the market isn't there they won't come regardless of what council does.
My wife and I budget pretty carefully and even still the weekly shop has crept up maybe forty dollars over the past year and a half. Nothing has changed except the price tags.
Three Woolworths should mean competition but they are all owned by the same company so it doesn't actually help anyone. Just more of the same prices everywhere.
Has been rumored for years that a new supermarket was coming to the east side of town. Still waiting. Probably be another fast food place at this rate.
A Super IGA would be so good. The smaller IGAs around town are handy but the range is limited and the prices aren't much better than Woolies or Coles.
We do a big shop in Orange every six weeks or so. Factor in the petrol and we still come out ahead. That tells you everything about what groceries cost here locally.
Council knocked back the Bunnings expansion and now we watch Bathurst get everything. Someone needs to explain what the actual plan is for this town.
Grew up in Dubbo and moved to Bathurst ten years ago. The difference in what's available for shopping is massive. Friends back home still message me asking to grab things when I visit.
Aldi is the only reason some of us are keeping our heads above water each week. Without it the grocery bill would be absolutely brutal on one income.
The fourth Maccas thing is what gets me. We have room for another drive through but not a decent fresh food market. Priorities are just completely backwards.
Would love to see a Harris Farm here honestly. Every time I visit family in Sydney I stock up there and bring stuff back in an esky. That's how desperate it is.
Three Woolworths and two Coles and yet I still drove to Orange last weekend because the prices here are just too much. Spent less and came home with twice the stuff. Says it all really.