Winners crowned for Product of the Year 2025
Aussie shoppers have had their say and cast votes for their favourite supermarket and everyday products in the annual Product of the Year Awards (POY) for 2025.
The world’s largest consumer-based awards program is now in its 16th year in Australia, recognising product innovation, and serving as a shortcut for shoppers, saving them time and money when finding the right products.
With inflation and rising food prices, nine in 10 Australians are now using affordability as their yardstick when determining product choices, according to new research conducted by NielsenIQ for POY.
Similar findings revealed that almost two in three shoppers are sacrificing indulgence items like chocolate and desserts, while 17% (up four points from last year) are removing household cleaning products from their carts to meet budgets.
While grocery shopping remains a point of tension, some age groups are having a better time at the supermarket than others. Ages 18 to 24 say they love grocery shopping, in comparison of those aged 55 to 64 that say the same, indicating grocery stores are doing a better job engaging younger generations.
How can grocery stores better serve Australian shoppers in today’s economic climate? 81% of respondents polled said that being the most affordable retailer is the best way to engage and retain them as customers.
Other top-ranking factors valued by shoppers when choosing a grocery store include best range of fresh and healthy products (77%), best deals and promotions (77%), best shopping experience or environment (59%) and most appealing home brands (52%).
This is reflected in the 2025 Product of the Year winners with supermarket chains Coles and Woolworths taking 23 of the 34 category awards, dominating with home brand and fresh food offerings.
Product of the Year director, Sarah Connelly said, “For the third year in a row, affordability has been the driving factor in influencing how people are filling their shopping trollies in the hopes of reducing their grocery bills. This, paired with our research revealing Australians in the 55+ category are feeling disengaged with grocery shopping, shows how the cost of living continues to put pressure on many households.
“That said, the POY winners’ trends are demonstrating that many Australians prioritise fresh, whole foods, easy cooking solutions and innovation to home brand products, such as recyclable packaging, perhaps indicating a shift to stores catering to a younger generation of shoppers.”
This year, Product of the Year welcomed household brands back into the winners’ pool, including the Storage Bed from Emma Sleep, TePe with the TePe Choice Toothbrush, and home-grown brands, Koala Sleep for The Koala Mattress and LeVel Beverages with a new sports drink.
In addition, POY welcomed first-time winners, Kmart, with the ANKO Hard Anodised Non-Stick Frypan, E45 Face Moisturizer from Nice Pak and Spirex Study App Notebook Range.
Full list of winners:
