Vegetables and meat – Prices in the supermarket are starting to fall

First bright spots when shopping in the supermarket: “Since the beginning of 2023, we have reduced the prices of more than 300 products. We will pass on the reduced factory prices to our customers as soon as possible,” explains Rewe boss Marcel Haraszti. The buyers negotiated hard every day to get the best possible price. The smart chicken schnitzel (500 g) was z. B. reduced by 4.42 percent, six Perschlingtaler Sonneneier by 15.04 percent.

Own brands discounted
At Spar, too, customers sometimes pay less. In its own words, the group therefore waives profit margins. Cutbacks are being made, especially for own brands. So z. B. S budget balsamic vinegar now costs 23 percent less, toilet paper 9 percent.

Hofer has been selling dairy products up to 28 percent cheaper since the beginning of 2023; now cheese prices were pushed further down. Lidl reduced prices for ‘normal’ dairy products by up to 13 percent and organic ones by up to 10 percent. However, compared to last year, according to Statistics Austria (see chart), expenditure is still dramatically higher.

Living in Austria is still expensive
Despite the lower prices, the cost of living in Austria remains high, 9.7 percent higher than last year. The main determinants of price were housing, energy, restaurants and groceries, according to Statistics Austria data released on Wednesday.

Inflation has thus risen again compared to the 9.2 percent in March. Looking only at the price increase between March and April, air travel and gas prices were the main factors.