Sahar Mourad
Food & Wine

Battler fruit and veg market owner slams big chains for profit chasing

A local grocer has been hailed a hero after calling out Woolies and Coles for unnecessarily increasing the price of fruit and vegetables. 

Johnny Kapiris owns St Bernards Fruit and Veg Market in Rostrevor, Adelaide. He recorded an angry video of himself slamming the big chains for their ridiculous price hikes. 

"Every f**ker in Australia is using inflation for an excuse to jack their f**king prices up," he said.

"You know why? Because they're money-hungry f**ks".

Johnny went on to show the prices of some of his products he selling with mandarins for just 99 cents a kilo, bananas for 99 cents a kilo and a punnet of strawberries for $4.99

The prices of these products at a Coles or Woolies supermarket go for $2.80 a kilo, $3.50 a kilo and $6.50 a punnet respectively. 

Johnny admitted that inflation is being factored into the increased prices, as well as expensive fuel and the recent flooding.

But he argues that the big supermarkets can afford to lower their prices and accept a lower profit just as he has done instead of keeping their shareholders happy. 

"Inflation is real but some people are playing on it,” he said. 

“There's plenty of specials you can put on to bring the basket spend down, which I believe they [supermarket chains] are not doing."

"There are only a handful of us who are really interested in our customers."

Despite accepting less profits, Johnny is being rewarded in a way that no other person can be - by having loyal customers coming back. 

"We're a family owned business and we're hands-on in the shop. I know my customers by name and I know what they want,” he said.

"It's that tight community feeling."

"There are a lot of pensioners here and how can they afford $12 for a lettuce? That's just unheard of."

Warning: Expletives used throughout video.  

Images: Facebook

Tags:
Johnny Kapiris, St Bernards Fruit and Veg Market, Rostrevor, Adelaide, Coles, Woolworths