The shopping basket has long become a stress test for our pockets. According to a study by the OCU, supermarkets have raised their prices an average of 38% between December 2020 and December 2023. All this compared to just over 6% that salaries increased in that same period. This is the main complaint of the report prepared by the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU), which has analyzed the evolution of 122 widely consumed food and drug products in seven large chains. Specifically, the study collects more than 55,000 prices in the online supermarkets of Alcampo, Carrefour, Condis, Dia, El Corte Inglés, Eroski and Mercadona in 10 cities: Barcelona, Gijón, La Coruña, Madrid, Palma, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Seville, Valencia, Valladolid and Zaragoza.
Among the foods that have become more expensive are mild olive oil (225%), white sugar (91%), orange juice (81%), eggs (67%), round rice (66% ). ) and carrots (65%). They are also significant in other products such as natural yogurt (58%), salmon slices (56%), macaroni (55%), ice cream bar (55%) and whole milk (53%). At the other extreme, fruits and vegetables have ‘barely’ risen an average of 20%.
Likewise, the study by this consumer organization has also confirmed that there are nuances between the different distributors and that their behavior has not been uniform. Thus, the main increases have been observed in Carrefour (45%) and Alcampo (43%), followed by Mercadona (38%), El Corte Inglés (37%), Eroski (34%), Condis (33%) and Dia . (32%). Prices were not recognized for Lidl and Aldi as they did not have an online store.
The origin of the price increase, at the origin
The report prepared by the OCU also points out that most of the increase in prices, at least in relation to fresh products, takes place at origin, in the producers, although they specify that this does not have to imply that they have greater benefits. . , as they have endured significant cost increases in fertilizers and fuels during this time. That is to say, he points out that many producers have been dragged down by strong cost inflation. But there are exceptions: foods such as apples and bananas have experienced greater increases in supermarkets themselves.
In this way, OCU has demanded that the reduced VAT be maintained beyond June and that it be extended to meat and fish, since 50% of families have difficulties acquiring them, according to a survey by the organization. In this sense, it has been considered “essential” to substantially increase the check of 200 euros for families with incomes of less than 27,000 euros, as well as the number of beneficiaries, increasing the income limit.
