DIA and Mercadona, the chains that have increased prices the most, finds an OCU . survey
Food product prices have recorded a historic 15.2% increase, according to the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) report on basket cost, which is the highest food price increase in 34 years of research. . In addition, the average annual savings that can be achieved by looking for the establishment with the cheapest prices does not reach a thousand euros, according to the director of communications and institutional relations of OCU, Ileana Izverniceanu: “You can see that you have a little less than last year, 7.3% less,” he explained at a press conference.
For the first time, all supermarket chains have increased prices, but not to the same extent. The OCU research shows that within the large chains, the branches of the Dia group have increased the most -Dia & Go (17.1%) Plaza de Dia (16.2%) and Dia (15.2%)- , as well as Mercadona (16.2%). On the contrary, the least rising were Alimerka (8.4%) Carrefour Express (8.5%) and BM Urban (8.8%).
Despite the sharp price increases, the OCU research shows that it is still possible to save on the shopping cart if you choose carefully where you buy the products. National average savings this year were EUR 994, 7.3% less than last year due to the fact that cheap establishments have increased more than expensive ones, shortening the distance between them. Yet it represents 17.9% of the budget that an average household allocates to the shopping cart.
However, the differences between cities are important. The maximum saving is again achieved in Madrid and this year amounts to 3,529 euros, followed by the Alcobendas-San Sebastián de los Reyes district with 2,977 euros. On the contrary, the cities where there are less price differences are Cuenca (485 euros), Segovia (520 euros) and Pontevedra (526 euros). The opportunities to save have to do with the diversity and breadth of the commercial offer in such a way that they are greater when there are expensive and cheap establishments in a place rather than the general price level of the city, it indicates. report to. .
The Alcampo de Coia hypermarket in Vigo is the cheapest establishment in Spain of the supermarkets frequented by the OCU, while the Tifer (located in Castilla y León), Dani (local chain based in Jaén and Granada) and Family Cash chains are the cheapest . Alcampo is the cheapest national chain for another year. On the other hand, Amazon, Novavenda, Ulabox and Sánchez Romero rank as the most expensive chains.
The cities where you can shop the cheapest are Vigo, Ciudad Real, Jerez de la Frontera, Almería, Granada, Huelva, Puertollano and Palencia, while Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona, Girona, Madrid and Alcobendas-San Sebastián de los Reyes ( Madrid) are the most expensive.
By autonomous communities, La Rioja, Extremadura, Galicia and Murcia are the cheapest regions, while the Balearic Islands and Catalonia are more expensive to purchase.
The report analyzed a total of 173,392 product prices this year after visiting 1,180 branches of 80 supermarket chains across 65 Spanish cities, in addition to the Internet.
On the other hand, total sales of consumer goods in the Spanish shopping cart reached 5,883 million euros in August, an increase of 11.6% compared to a year earlier, with behavior very similar to that of the previous two months, according to the report. the latest data released by NielsenIQ.
The price increase remains the main reason for this increase, as the volume registers a slight increase of 0.8%, up 10.7%, compared to August 2021, the highest figure since the start of the inflation escalation and in in line with the August CPI data published by the National Institute of Statistics (INE), which was 10.5%.
Food is the sector with the highest spending for Spaniards, according to the analysis, with sales growth in value of 13.1%, despite purchasing volume declining by 0.7%.
Among the products whose prices skyrocketed in August compared to a year earlier, margarine is 47.6% more expensive than a year ago; butter, 33.5% more; oil, up 33.4% more; pasta, 30% higher and industrial pastries that cost 26.5% more.
The war in Ukraine continues to explain these increases, but so does the drought this summer, with reduced harvests.
As for those that have increased in price the least, most fall into the drugstore and perfumery category, while candy has become cheaper by 1.1%.
The distribution brand monopolizes 40.4% of the market share, rising to 48.4% in food. The report highlights that Spaniards continue to choose white brands to save, with spending increasing by 16.7% and volume increasing by 2.3%, compared to the 0.7% drop in demand on brands of the manufacturer. Nevertheless, the data shows that the average price increase of distribution brands (14%) is higher than that of manufacturer brands (9.1%).
Source: La Verdad
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
