Supermarkets in Spain are experiencing a considerable rise in prices, particularly after the government’s measure to reduce VAT on a list of basic foods to control inflation. Large companies such as Carrefour, Aldi, Mercadona, Lidl, and Alcampo are inflating prices of certain products to keep their profits at bay. Facua-Consumers in Action has denounced this inflationary escalation, pointing out that the situation is very delicate and any slight variation in prices is noticeable in the wallets of Spaniards.
Facua carried out a study on the evolution of a thousand food prices in eight large distribution chains, including Alcampo, Aldi, Carrefour, DIA, Eroski, Lidl, Hipercor, and Mercadona. The study focused on the products selected by the administration to which a VAT reduction has been applied and found that fruits and vegetables have suffered the most significant price change, followed by olive and sunflower oils and milk and dairy products.
Aldi tops the chart as the supermarket that has raised the most prices, with 32 of the 58 prices analyzed by Facua having increased. Carrefour came in second, with 85 of the 163 products analyzed having increased in price. Hipercor and Dia followed, having increased prices on 80 and 62 products, respectively.
Eroski and Mercadona had the lowest percentage of price increases, with 48 and 44 products out of 131 and 146 prices registered, respectively. Despite the supposed VAT reduction, supermarkets like Carrefour, Aldi, and Lidl continue to follow an upward trend, making it increasingly difficult for many families to fill their shopping carts.
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