A Coles customer has sparked debate after sharing details of a cheap chicken haul she picked up at her local store.
Sharing on a popular Facebook group, the shopper revealed she got $148 worth of chicken thighs and nibbles for just $14.18 thanks to some serious reductions at the deli counter.
“Just got my first bargain in ages — 94c per kilo for chicken leg fillets and 75c per kilo for souvlaki chicken nibbles,” she wrote on the Markdown Addicts Australia page.
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“So got 13kg of chicken leg fillets for $12.28 — original price would have been $130 — and $1.90 for the chicken nibbles for just over 2.5kg, original price $9 per kilo. So a saving of roughly $120.”
Sharing photos of her epic haul, the shopper revealed how she got about nine packs of chicken, priced between just 93 cents and $1.88.
But while many were blown away by the markdowns, others were quick to voice their concerns.
“I would rather pay full price than get marked down chicken,” one person wrote in the comment section.
Another said: “Majority of that will be close to going off, if not off, so it’s not really a saving when you can possibly get sick from eating that. Salmonella is so dangerous, why would you risk it?”
A third wrote: “I wouldn’t do cheap chicken, but that’s just me, haha.”
One more added: “Be ready for the use by date, might be slimy, wouldn’t touch it. Just me.”
But bargain hunters urged the woman to ignore the negative comments.
“Well done. If you freeze it straight away, it will be fine,” said one.
Another wrote: “Good on you. Don’t take any notice of the negative stuff.”
A third said: “So, what time is tea? We all want to come knocking on the door, just before. Well done, great score. I would have filled the freezer as well.”
One more added: “Well done and glad you took what you wanted. A bargain such as this is hard to come by.”
The shopper who shared her haul said she was happy to brush off the criticism.
“Thanks for all the positive comments, and thanks for the negative ones too — for giving me a laugh,” she said.
“Tough times for us all, so get what you can when you can. All split into portions for a five-adult family and frozen straight away.
“Wasn’t expecting to see such a high markdown, as the Coles I went to was a brand-new store and only opened last Wednesday.”
Coles responds
A Coles spokesperson said customers are always urged to take note of use by and best before dates on reduced buys.
“We know our customers love good value, so when a product is near its best before date we often mark it down so it can be enjoyed for a cheaper price, instead of being wasted,” the spokesperson told 7NEWS.com.au.
“Markdowns do not uniformly take place at the same time across all stores. There are many things that can impact when this takes place including stock on hand, delivery schedules and team member rosters.
“Food safety is paramount, and we encourage customers to be mindful of use by and best before dates, which determine the shelf life of food products, how long food can be kept before the quality deteriorates or when the item is unsafe to eat.”