Filenews 21 April 2024 - by Elefthria Paizanou
Ιnflation is here to stay and we consolidate it daily. Since the prices of most products went up in the previous 2-3 years, now, despite the inflation rate falling to 1.6% in March, prices are in the red. Of course, there are very few cases of products that due to the application of zero VAT or other reasons show a small decrease.
Visiting supermarkets every week is usually accompanied by a negative surprise, as each time consumers pay more and buy less. There are also many consumers who have changed their habits, limited their purchases or opted for cheaper products or lower quality.
Now, long shopping lists are a thing of the past, as for many people the household basket includes the essentials. The slow decline in food inflation has led many consumers to follow consumption habits that consumers abroad have been practicing for years. The purchase of fruit and vegetables by the kilos was restricted. We all buy 4-5 tomatoes and cucumbers and 2-3 apples or pears, so that they are consumed without spoiling and end up in the bin.
What the Consumer Service found
According to the price observatory of basic consumer products of the Consumer Protection Service of the Ministry of Energy, the price indices for February, in a total of 45 categories of basic products, recorded an increase in 24 categories, of which 12 at less than 1%. Specifically, in addition to the 33% increase recorded in fresh vegetables and greens, which was followed by decreases in specific products in March, as recorded by the comparative price observatory, fresh fish and molluscs also showed a significant increase by 5.5%, vegetable cooking fat by 5.4%, oil by 2.9% and baby food by 2%.
This was followed at much lower rates by increases in bulgur by 1.9%, flour and soft drinks by 1.8% respectively, 1.6% in evaporated and sweetened milk and 1.2% in fabric softeners.
The remaining 21 categories of the Observatory recorded a decrease, with the main ones being frozen pasta by 4.3%, frozen molluscs/shellfish by 4.3%, sugar by 3.8%, cold cuts by 3.1%, frozen fish by 3.2% and frozen breaded and precooked meat by 2.6%. This was followed by sanitary napkins and toilet paper by 1.6%.
€3 mm more in a year
"F" tried to identify in practice what these price fluctuations mean for households. He conducted a survey of 35 products on supermarket shelves.
We selected for purchase these 35 products, for which we paid a total amount of €230.24. Last year, the same 35 products, in the same quantities and under the same brand, according to the consumer protection agency's consumer commodity price observatory, cost €167.99. That is, there is a difference of €62.25.
In fact, if one considers that these purchases are the weekly purchases of a household, in the four weeks that the month has, the increase in costs rises by €249 per month. In the 12 months, the cost is increased by €2,988. This is a large amount, which is particularly noticeable for the pockets of consumers from low and middle income strata.
Cold cuts and cheeses
This March, a package of lountza 300 gr. It was sold at a price of €4.51, while in the corresponding month last year it cost €4.19. A package of 300 gr. This year it was priced at €3.88, while last year it was €3.82.
Moreover, 400 gr. Last month, feta was priced at €7.09, compared to €5.87 in the same period last year. In addition, the selling price of one kilo of halloumi cheese, which we chose, this year was €13.67, from €13.43 last year.
Gold olive oil
According to the data of the Consumer Service, olive oil is converted into gold, the price of which this year doubled. For example, two liters of olive oil last month sold for €25.54, compared to €13.87 last March.
As it turns out, although olive oil is a key factor in the Mediterranean diet, unrestrained precision will lead consumers to renounce it or substitute it with other oils.
Soaring flour and legumes
At the same time, last March a kilogram of all-purpose flour had a weighted average price of €1.53, up from €1.44 last year, while a kilogram of rustic flour was sold at €1.63, compared to €1.54 in March '22.
Spaghetti spaghetti is sold at €1.29 per box from €1.27 last year. As shown by the data of the Consumer Service, this year a kilo of lentils cost €2.82, from €2.54 last March, a kilo of louvi sold for €3.28 per kilo from €2.95 from last year, while a kilo of beans was sold at a price of €2.96 compared to €2.85.
Meanwhile, in March this year a kilo of bulgur was sold at €2.57 from €2.56 last year, a kilo of basmati rice was sold at €5.88 from €4.94 which was 375 g. Ravioli were priced at €3.50 from €3.35.
Fish and meat
During the same period, one kilo of frozen squid in slices was sold at a price of €5.85, up from €5.29. Also, four pieces of salmon 125 gr. For sale were €18.60, up from €15.40 last year, fish finger 350 gr. It sold for 6.73 from €6.37 last year while 4 pieces of burgers were priced at 600 gr. rose to €5.69 from €5.30 in March 2023.
In addition, last month a kilogram of lamb meat cost €10.90 per kilo from €10.28 in the same period last year, while this March the selling price of pork steak was €5.42 per kilo from €4.90 last year.
Increases in other products
At the same time, Cypriot coffee 200 gr. It costs €2.75, up from €2.72 last year, the price of instant coffee 200 g. It rose to €4.32 from €4.13 and evaporated milk went to €1.62 from €1.37 last year.
Also, consumers last month bought the 375 g. cereals with chocolate at the price of €3.49 from €2.88, also soft drinks 330 gr. It sold for 94 cents this year. Up from 85 cents last year, twelve 500ml bottles of water were priced at €3 from €2.66 and a dozen eggs this March were priced at €3.34 from €3.23. Also, the price of detergents increased, for example in March 2024 3 liters of laundry detergent had a price of €11.10 from €9.57 last year, while the price of a fabric softener (4 kg) was €5.52 from €5.14.
And some price reductions
At the same time, "F" also identified some products for which prices have decreased. For example, a kilogram of strained yogurt sold for €4.11 from €4.12 last year, 200 g. Cheese sold for €2.48 from €2.71, while two litres of milk fell to €2,887 from €3.02 last year.
Sunflower oil (3 litres) sold more slowly, rising to €6.87 from €8.25 last year, sugar fell to €1.27 from €1.44 and chicken was sold at €3.58 per kilo from €3.76 in March 2023.
It is recalled that for a long time the Government applies zero VAT on bread, milk, eggs, baby food, products for feminine hygiene, baby diapers and adults, sugar, coffee, meat and vegetables. In fact, last March the measure was extended until the end of June, with the cost estimated at €6 million.
