Product of the Year 2025

5,000 Australian 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 continuing to cause frustration amongst Australian households, it's no surprise that 9 in 10 Aussies 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 2 in 3 shoppers are sacrificing indulgence items like chocolate and desserts, while 17% (up 4 points from last year) are removing household cleaning products from their carts in order to meet budgets.

While grocery shopping remains a point of tension for Australians across the nation, some age groups are having a better time at the supermarket than others. A surprising 20% of Australians ages 18 to 24 say they love grocery shopping, in comparison to only 4% of Aussies ages 55 to 64 that say the same, indicating grocery stores are doing a better job engaging younger generations.

So, how can grocery stores better serve Australian shoppers in today's economic climate? 81% of respondents polled,
unsurprisingly, 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, Healthy Products – voted by 77% of shoppers
• Best Deals & Promotions – voted by 77% of shoppers
• Best Shopping Experience/ Environment – voted by 59% of shoppers
• Most Appealing Home Brands – voted by 52% of shoppers

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 their home-brand and fresh food offerings.

Product of the Year Director, Sarah Connelly says, "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 Aussie 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 is shown in winners such as the Woolworths Cook Slow Cooked
Traditional Beef Roast with Garlic & Herb, Coles Overnight Chia Pudding- Berry & Coconut, and Woolworths Fresh Milk,
now with recyclable packaging"

 

This year, Product of the Year was thrilled to welcome beloved household brands back into the winners' pool, including the Storage Bed from Emma Sleep, TePe, with thier TePe Choice Toothbrush, and Aussie home-grown brands Koala Sleep for The Koala Mattress and LeVel Beverages with a new sports drink. In addition, POY are very excited to welcome first-time winners,Kmart, with the ANKO Hard Anodised Non-Stick Frypan, E45 Face Moisturizer from Nice Pak and Spirex Study App Notebook Range into the fold for 2025

 

Shoppers can be confident when buying Product of the Year category winners as they undergo a rigorous testing process. A panel of judges, comprising of various industry experts, first tested the products for quality, credibility, and innovation. The resulting product finalists were then reviewed and voted on by 5,000 Australians. The NielseniQ research that determines the winners involves evaluating these consumer responses by using their six key innovation criteria which include:

Relevance – Is the product fulfilling a need or addressing a problem?
Uniqueness – Does is stand out and bring something new to the category?
Excitement – How excited are they to use the product? Would they spread the word?
Likeability – Does it deliver what you want?
Distinctiveness – Does it add something new to its category?
Innovation – Is it an innovative product?

 

For more on the list visit https://www.productoftheyear.com.au

 

Some of our favourites include:

• E45 Face Moisturiser
• Spirax Study App Notebook
• TePe Choice Toothbrush
• Coles Finest Hazelnut Cookie
• Coles Overnight Chia Pudding – Berry & Coconut
• Coles Daley Street Instant Coffee
• Coles Finest Lime Cocktail Slices
• Coles Simply Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce
• Ultra Life Magnesium, Calcium + Vitamin D3 Vitamins
• CUB Biodegradable Water Wipes
• Starbucks by Nespresso Flavoured Coffee Pods
• LeVel Lemonade & Cola

 

2025 Product of the Year Winners:

Company	Brand	Product	Category
Nice Pak Products	E45	Face Moisturiser	Skin
Kmart Australia	ANKO	ANKO Hard Anodised Non-Stick Frypan	Household/Kitchenware
Reckitt Benckiser	Pine O Cleen	Platinum Antibacterial Laundry Sanitiser	Laundry
ACCO Brands	Spirax	Study App Notebook Range	Stationary
Ferrero Australia	Ferrero Rocher	Frozen Dessert	Ice Cream
Koala	Koala	Mattress	Mattress
TePe	TePe Choice	Toothbrush	Dental Care
Coles Group	Coles Finest	Coles Finest Chocolate Hazelnut Cookie	Biscuits /Sweet Treats
Coles Group	Coles Simply	Coles Simply Garlic Bread Twin Pack 450g	Packaged Bread
Coles Group	Coles Red Tab	Coles Overnight Chia Pudding- Berry & Coconut	Breakfast
Coles Group	Daley Street	Coles Daley Street Instant Coffee	Coffee
Coles Group	Coles Finest	Coles Finest Lime Cocktail Slices	Dried Fruit/ Nuts
Coles Group	Coles	Red Grandma's Heirloom Tomato	Fresh Produce
Coles Group	Coles Simply	Coles Simply Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce	Meal Bases
Coles Group	Coles Red Tab	Coles Immunity Lift Juice 1L	Beverages
Coles Group	Ultra Life – Coles	Ultra Life Magnesium, Calcium + Vitamin D3	Vitamins
Coles Group	Coles	Coles Nature's Kitchen Hearty Mushroom & Lentil	Plant Based Meal
Coles Group	CUB - Coles	CUB Biodegradable Water Wipes 60 pack	Baby Care
Woolworths Food Company	Woolworths	Woolworths Cook Slow Cooked Traditional Beef Roast With Garlic & Herb	Slow Cooked Meal Solutions
Woolworths Food Company	Woolworths	Woolworths Smash Cake	Celebration Cakes
Woolworths Food Company	Woolworths	Woolworths Lotus Biscoff Cheesecake	Indulgent Dessert Cakes (Chilled)
Woolworths Food Company	Woolworths	Woolworths Lemon Crumb Barramundi	Seafood - Fish
Woolworths Food Company	Woolworths	Woolworths Premium Beef Chuck & Brisket Mince	Fresh Meat
Woolworths Food Company	Woolworths	Woolworths Sea Salt Deli Style Potato Chips	Gourmet Snacking
Woolworths Food Company	Macro	Macro Lentil Bites Pumped up Pumpkin	Healthy Lunch Box
Woolworths Food Company	Woolworths	Woolworths Full Cream Milk	Milk
Woolworths Food Company	Plus Sum	Plus Sum Salted Caramel Protein Bar	Nutritional Snacks
Woolworths Food Company	Woolworths	Woolworths Smoked Streaky Bacon	Small goods - Pork/Bacon
Woolworths Food Company	Strike	Strike Multipurpose Cleaner Refill Apple & Cedarwood	Household Cleaning
Woolworths Food Company	Woolworths	Woolworths Chicken Breast Bites Southern Style	Poultry - Easy Meal Solutions
Tassal	Tassal	Tassal Cooked Australian Tiger Prawns	Smoked Salmon Packaged Seafood (Prawns)
Emma Sleep Pty Ltd	Emma Sleep	Emma Storage Bed	Beds
Nestle Australia Ltd	Nestle	Nespresso Flavoured Coffee Pods	Coffee Pods
LeVel Beverages	LeVel	LeVel Lemonade & Cola	Sports Beverages