Supermarket prices in Spain surge by almost 15% in a year

GROCERY PRICES have soared by 30.8% in Spain over the last two years and 14.1% in the 12 months up to last May, according to a Supermarket study carried out by the OCU consumer group.

The OCU says its the biggest price hike in the 35 years that they have been conducting their supermarket survey.

The OCU Basket is a set of 155,788 prices of products that make up the most common shopping items, including food, pharmacy, and hygiene products.

The average price of the basket is €6,109 per annum, but it varies depending on where the goods are bought, with the difference between the most expensive and cheapest stores in a city clocking up to €1,056 per annum.

The basket price in May 2023 was 14.1% up on the same time 12 months earlier, with the OCU confirming big variations between different retailers.

Supeco, Carrefour and E.Leclerc were among the among the major supermarket chains to record the biggest price increases so far this year- led by BM Urban with a rise of over 15%.

In contrast, Eroski, Eroski City, and Masymas raised their prices the least- by less than 10%.

The Alcampo hypermarkets in Coia, Vigo, and Murcia, and two Dani supermarkets in Granada, are the cheapest stores to purchase OCU Basket goods.

The most expensive stores visited by the OCU are from the Sanchez Romero chain.

The cheapest cities are Cordoba and Teruel, while the most expensive cities are Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Madrid, Palma, and Getxo.

The cheapest autonomous communities are Galicia, Murcia, and La Rioja, while the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands are the most expensive.

Consumers who choose to shop at the cheapest store can save up to 17.5% of their shopping budget.

Nine out of ten products in the grocery basket have increased in price compared to last year.

Sugar (+66%) and products such as condensed milk (+61%) and ice cream, have seen sharp increase in prices.

Elsewhere, some vegetables, such as onions (+40%) and carrots (+56%), have also become dearer.

For its study, OCU visited 1,108 establishments in 65 cities and also analysed online prices of the main chains.

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