Simon Hunter
For anyone who is concerned about the cost of living crisis and is willing to travel, look no further: the Alcampo supermarket in the Coia neighbourhood in Vigo, Galicia region, is the cheapest in all of Spain right now. And those without a care in the world about how much they spend on their weekly shop should head to the Sánchez Romero supermarket in Madrid’s Arturo Soria street: that one is the most expensive.
These findings are contained in the latest report from Spain’s OCU consumer association, which releases a yearly study of price changes in the country’s supermarkets. Thanks to the inflationary pressures due to factors such as high energy and raw material costs, there is more interest than usual in what the OCU has to say.
The chains Dia and Mercadona, for example, are at the top of the list when it comes to price rises, with an increase of 16% in the last year.
The cost of the average shopping basket, meanwhile, has risen 15% compared to last year, the highest rise seen for 34 years.
The hikes are most notable among the cheapest lines of products and own brands, which have gone up 16%. As the study from the OCU points out, this will have a major impact on lower-income households.
The cheapest chains in Spain are, according to the study, Tifer, Dani, Family Cash, Alcampo and Supeco, while Sánchez Romero, Ulabox, Novavenda and Amazon are the priciest.
The aforementioned city of Vigo is the cheapest for food shopping in Spain, along with Ciudad Real in Castilla la Mancha. The most expensive cities are Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona, the Madrid satellite city of Alcobendas, Girona and the Spanish capital itself.
On average, Spanish households spend €5,568 a year on their groceries, according to the study. The report also found that, in Madrid for example, a consumer can save as much as €3,529 a year depending on where they shop.
Given the current situation for consumers, the OCU is calling for “urgent measures” from the central government to bring down prices. These include a temporary reduction in VAT on foodstuffs, as well as benefit cheques for vulnerable or large families, so that they can deal with the rising cost of the basics.
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