Cheap spirits, pricey condoms: how war in the Middle East is shifting the way Australians spend

Beyond cutting back on driving, households are slicing deeper into their budgets, with some even forgoing healthcare Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast As soon as petrol prices started to rise in response to the Middle East conflict, many Australians – already grappling with high living costs – changed their spending habits. Beyond cutting back on driving, households are slicing deeper into their budgets, with some even forgoing healthcare. Here are four shifts in consumer behaviour, as observed by businesses across the country. There has been a years-long trend in Australia of drinking less, but better quality, alcohol. That has started to change as consumers search for cheap drinks. The ASX-listed alcohol packaging company Orora has detected a global shift toward cheaper spirits since the start of the Iran war. The volume of sales is also less than they had previously forecast due to diminishing customer confidence. Steven Fanner, the executive director at Spirits & Cocktails Australia, says Australians are “trading down” due to rising living costs. “They are getting something that’s a little bit chea

Apr 26, 2026 → May 3, 2026