Adrian Portelli’s Melbourne supermarket charges $99 for access, with mixed savings
Adrian Portelli has opened LMCT+ Market in Deer Park, near Melbourne, presenting it as a lower-cost challenger to Coles and Woolworths during Australia’s cost-of-living pressures. Shoppers must scan a membership barcode to enter, so access to the supermarket is tied to Portelli’s paid subscription service.
Membership costs from $99 a year, with an elite option priced at $999. A comparison of selected groceries found some cheaper prices: free-range eggs were $5.75 for a dozen versus $7.40 at the major chains, and beef mince was about $13 per kilogram versus $15. Other items were closer in price, and the store also sells premium products such as Wagyu burgers for $18 each.
In short
- LMCT+ Market has opened in Deer Park.
- Entry requires a paid membership starting at $99 yearly.
- Selected staples cost less than at major supermarket chains.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A paid-membership supermarket could offer worthwhile savings for regular shoppers if lower prices on staples, such as eggs and mince, outweigh the annual fee. It also adds competition to a concentrated grocery market and gives customers another option during a cost-of-living squeeze.
The case against
The $99 entry-level fee means shoppers must spend enough to recoup the cost, while the reported price checks show that savings vary by product. Tying entry to a paid subscription may therefore make the offer less useful to occasional or budget-constrained shoppers, especially when some goods are similarly priced and premium items are also sold.
Explained simply
LMCT+ Market is a supermarket in Deer Park, near Melbourne, opened by businessman Adrian Portelli as a lower-cost alternative to Australia’s major grocery chains, Coles and Woolworths. Its doors are open only to people who scan a membership barcode, linking grocery shopping to Portelli’s LMCT+ subscription service.
Membership starts at $99 a year, with a higher-priced elite tier also available. Some compared groceries cost less than at the major chains, while others were closer in price; the shop also stocks premium items. The store is part of a wider debate about grocery costs and how shoppers can find savings.
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by Daily Mail as “Inside Adrian Portelli’s new supermarket: A $99 fee just to get inside… and not much variety for all the hype – but it’s still cheaper than Coles and Woolworths”.