No to furniture, yes to yoghurt: five ways Australians are changing their shopping behaviour

The August financial reporting season offers insight into how purchases are shifting amid rising living costs Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Australians are procrastinating buying new couches and white goods while prioritising high protein foods, home coffee machines and sports gear, according to the latest data. Here are five key takeaways from the August financial reporting season that show how purchases are shifting amid rising living costs and a housing slowdown. Bega’s financial results show that while consuming large amounts of protein may have started as a gym craze, it is now firmly mass market. The food company generated a robust 6.7% increase in annual revenue, to $3.8bn, on the back of protein-enhanced yoghurt and flavoured milk, including smoothies, and it expects the demand to continue. Protein-infused yoghurt is proving to be particularly profitable for Bega because the profit margins – representing the difference between the cost of production and sale – are wider than in other dairy products, like its traditional cheeses. The protein trend is having a big impact across dairy, with food manufacturers shifting focus away from cheese toward