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The consumer watchdog has released its long-awaited report into supermarkets, finding no evidence of price gouging by the big players.
In a report released tonight, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission found grocery prices had risen by 24 per cent in the past five years.
But it cited higher increases in countries like the UK, US and Canada.
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The ACCC claimed giants like Coles and Woolworths failed to pass on sufficient savings to customers during the cost-of-living crisis, but conceded little can be done about their market dominance.
Queensland University of Technology retail marketing and consumer behaviour expert Professor Gary Mortimer said it was not the "damning" report many expected.
"Those two points that you've raised, no evidence of price gouging," he told 9News.
"In fact, all other five reports, including Treasury, the ACTU, the Senate select committee, South Australian Greens, Queensland government, also couldn't find any evidence of price gouging.
"Price increases have impacted supermarkets and food input costs addressing that, and as you rightly said, lower than most OECD countries.
"The challenge, though, of course, is rural and remote communities where they just don't have access to the supermarket players."
